The La Ronge Ice Wolves were looking for their second straight win on Friday night in Melfort, but that did not happen, as the Mustangs skated away with a 5-1 victory.
La Ronge defenceman Ben Manson made his return to the lineup after serving a two-game suspension. Manson made his presence felt early, opening the scoring 4:36 into the game when he wired a sneaky shot past Jack Walters from the point, which gave La Ronge a 1-0 lead.
“I thought he (Manson) played pretty well, he kept a solid pace out there,” said Ice Wolves Assistant Coach Gaelan Patterson. “He’s a good leader on the bench and it was nice to see him get a first goal there.”
Chad Duran got the start in the La Ronge net. If if was not for Duran coming up with some sensational saves early in the game, the Ice Wolves might have been in some serious trouble after the first period. Duran finished the night with 26 saves in a losing cause.
“I thought Chad (Duran) played a helluva game, we just didn’t do what necessary in front of him,” said Patterson. “Just a little bit too much complaining going on in the dressing room right now. I think the guys just got to find a way past that stuff and focus on hockey.”
Following the early Manson marker, the Ice Wolves failed to find the back of the net. Melfort scored five straight en route to the victory. The Mustangs got goals from Zach Anderson, Kyle Schneider, Jake Hobson, Justin Ball and Carson Albrecht. Jack Walters made 20 saves for the win.
With the loss, La Ronge slipped to 1-6 on the season. The Ice Wolves will be looking to rebound on Saturday at home when they conclude the home-and-home set with Melfort. Saturday’s game gets underway at 7:30 p.m. from the Mel Hegland Uniplex.
Following Saturday’s game, the Ice Wolves will hit the road for seven straight contests. La Ronge kicks off a four-game swing next Wednesday in Estevan against the Bruins. You can catch that game live on MBC with Braden Malsbury, the pre-game show begins at 6:45 p.m.
(PHOTO: The La Ronge Ice Wolves were on the road in Melfort Friday. Photo by Braden Malsbury.)