Ooks edge Kings at Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre

Brent Forster - RDC

Red Deer, AB - The RDC Kings led the visiting NAIT Ooks after 40 minutes, but the Ooks capitalized on a pair of third period opportunities to pick up a 3-2 road win. 

NAIT connected early in the first period. At 1:03, Dylan Stewart beat Troy Trombley for the opening goal of the contest. The Kings fired 15 shots at Patrick Gora over 20 minutes and they broke through for a pair of goals in under 40 seconds. At 15:22, newcomer Mathieu Lapointe and Lynnden Pastachak set up Tyrell Mappin for the equalizer. Then 37 seconds later, Parker Smyth beat Gora for the go-ahead-goal. Scott Ferguson and Ross Heidt had the assists. 

Colby Brochu Photography

Both goaltenders were unbeatable in the middle frame, each turning aside 14 shots. 

Trevor Costello (28) Colby Brochu Photography

About midway through the third, NAIT's Carson Beers knotted the game 2-2. When overtime looked like a possibility, Tyler Robertson found the back of the Kings' net for a 3-2 edge with 2:03 remaining, and the tally proved to be the winner.

Kings Associate Coach Cody Reynolds thought that the alterations made by the coaching staff and players were effective, but the close game slipped away late. "Coming off of last night, I thought that the guys really responded well tonight. There were some little adjustments that we needed to make tonight and I thought that the guys did a great job making those adjustments, sticking with it and chipping away as the game went on," he says. "It was really, really tight going into the third period with a 2-1 lead, which is right where we wanted to be. We were outshooting them, and in my opinion outplaying them, and in the third period we didn't get the goaltending that we would like, but that's the way it goes sometimes."

Chase Thudium (10) Colby Brochu Photography

Reynolds appreciated the improved defensive coverage and the Ooks had 15 less shots over 60 minutes compared to Friday. "Last night, they had 24 shots from the homeplate and 21 were in tight to our goalie," he says. "So that was a big adjustment tonight and I think that we did a great job limiting them to less shots. That put us in a good position to get the win, but unfortunately it didn't go that way." 

Mathieu Lapointe received the Kings Player-of-the-Game award, recording one assist. Patrick Gora was named the Ooks Player-of-the-Game, stopping 37 out of 39 shots (0.949). 

The six-foot-four left winger joined the Kings in the second semester from the University of Moncton. "We added Mat Lapointe and he's been great. He came in and had to earn his way into the lineup. He worked really hard in practice the past two weeks leading up to this weekend, and I am really pleased with him in his first weekend in our league," says Reynolds. "He's a big body, protects the puck really well and I think his linemates really benefit from that - being able to have that extra second to get open and get some chances from him. When he's in the net front, he does a great job of seeking pucks out and getting second and third opportunities on net for us. I look forward to him improving and getting more comfortable as the season goes on."

The penalty killing was perfect from both groups. RDC halted all five of NAIT's opportunities and the Ooks killed off eight Kings' man advantages.

Tanner Butler (24) Colby Brochu Photography

With some movement in the standings over the weekend, the Red Deer College Kings (10-4-1-1) share third spot with the SAIT Trojans (11-5-0-0). NAIT (12-4-0-0) moves into first and MacEwan University (11-4-1-0) sits in second. 

Next weekend, the RDC Kings will face-off against the fifth place University of Alberta Augustana Vikings (10-5-0-1). On Saturday, January 19, the Kings will host the Vikings at the Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre at 7:00 p.m.