This weekend marked a welcome return home for the Olds Grizzlys, playing in front of their fans at the Olds Sportsplex for the first time since September 28.
Friday night saw the Whitecourt Wolverines roll into town for their first matchup of the season against the black and gold. The opening period was a tight defensive battle, with both teams settling in and testing each other’s goaltenders. Whitecourt managed to break through early in the second, adding another before the frame ended.
The Grizzlys found their spark in the third as Jordan Wales buried one to bring Olds within a goal, giving the crowd something to cheer about and momentum to build on. Despite the push, Whitecourt would add two more, including an empty netter, to seal a 4-1 final. Connor Johnson stood tall in net, turning aside 26 of 29 shots, while the Grizzlys showed positive offensive strides, outshooting their opponent for a change with 32 shots on goal.
Saturday night brought a familiar foe as the Drayton Valley Thunder visited for the third meeting between the teams this season. The first period saw Drayton Valley capitalize on a turnover to open the scoring, but the Grizzlys answered back in the second with a special moment as rookie Riley Pederson netted his first AJHL goal to tie things up and inject life into the game.
The third period turned into a back and forth affair, with Drayton Valley striking twice early before Sean Richards responded quickly with his third of the season to bring the Grizzlys right back into it. The effort and offensive drive were there, as Olds continued to pour on the pressure and lead in shots once again, finishing the night with an impressive 40 on goal. The Thunder, however, managed to add a shorthanded and empty net marker to close out the game. Connor Johnson was once again reliable between the pipes, stopping 25 of 29 shots in his back-to-back starts.
While the results didn’t go the Grizzlys’ way, the weekend showcased plenty of positives with offensive pressure, improved shot totals, and continued growth from key young players. With signs of momentum building, the team will look to turn that energy into wins on the road next weekend when they visit the Whitecourt Wolverines and the Devon Xtreme, before returning home on Halloween night to take on the Calgary Canucks.
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