By Jeff D'Andrea

Crazy homestand comes to a close for Icehawks

Jan 25, 2015 | 4:34 PM

It was quite the eventful weekend for the Prince Albert Icehawks.

The broke a 16-game losing streak Friday in a 5-4 win over the Regina Silver Foxes Friday, blew a two-goal lead in the final 30 seconds to lose 6-5 in overtime to the Southern Rebels, then came within a whisker of coming back from a three-goal deficit in a 5-3 defeat to the West Central Rage on Sunday.

“The boys worked hard through the weekend, they broke that streak on Friday and have had a lot more confidence,” said Icehawks head coach Kim Dryka. “At the start of the new year, they’ve been playing really well and with a lot of confidence.

“On Saturday, we let a point slip away and we could have a two-game winning streak, but overall, three points out of six is pretty good for the boys. They’re still pretty pumped and they’re playing with a lot of heart now.”

The Icehawks got offensive contributions from across the board in the weekend, especially from assistant captain Lucas Anseth, 20-year-old forward from Prince Albert. Anseth had a hat trick in Sunday’s game and finished the weekend with five goals and eight points in the three games.

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Defenceman Ryley Regnier had assists on all three Anseth goals in Sunday’s game. Dryka was quick to throw some other names in the hat, like the checking line of Jeremy Hudye, Brennan Boruch (who can also play defence) and Logan Schmautz.

“The big guns are there to do what we expect them to do and Regnier stepped up on the backend,” said Dryka. “Even that line with Hudye, Boruch and Schmautz there, they’re all playing really hard. They’re all contributing, maybe not as much on the scoreboard, but they’re on the ice all the time working their hardest.”

Rage 4 Icehawks 3

On Sunday, the Icehawks gave up the first goal 3:19 into the first period with a goal from Troy Clappison.

Icehawks defenceman Brandon Carlson thought he tied the game with 4:44 left in the period, as his backhanded effort from a sharp angle eluded Rage goaltender Brett Reader.

But referee Bob Schrader put up his hands to call off the play and had a word with his two linesmen, before eventually calling off the goal. As he was inevitably heckled by the Icehawks faithful, Schrader put his hands half-an-inch apart and mouthed to the crowd, “this close.”

 To rub salt into the Icehawks’ wounds, Rage forward Cory Clark scored two minutes after the no-goal call to take a 2-0 lead.

Lucas Anseth would get the Icehawks back in the game 49 seconds into the second period. But the Rage had other ideas as they scored twice more to make it 4-1 heading into the third period. Thomas Duhaime and Masen Carriere were the goal scorers there.

Like he did in the second, Anseth scored in the opening minute of the third—55 seconds into the final frame to give the Icehawks life at 4-2 with almost a whole period left to work with.

Anseth would complete the hat trick on the power play with 3:31 left to make it a 4-3 game. Icehawks defenceman Ryley Regnier received assists on all three Anseth goals.

There was a flurry in the Rage’s zone as the Icehawks were pressing for the equalizer, but the Rage’s Matt Mitchell scored with a flipshot from his own half in the final minute to put the Rage up 5-3.

The Icehawks took just one minor penalty in all of Sunday’s game, and killed it off. They were also 1-2 on the power play.

The Icehawks only have one home game remaining, Feb. 8 against the Saskatoon Quakers, as six of their next seven regular season games are on the road.

jdandrea@panow.com

On Twitter: @jeff_dandrea