Weersink solid as Thunder edge Kings in overtime

Brent Forster – Red Deer Polytechnic Athletics

Red Deer, AB – Kings goaltender Arik Weersink gave his team a chance to win against the Concordia University Thunder.

The third-year from Lethbridge stopped 49 shots over 64 minutes, but the visitors snuck out a 4-3 overtime decision.

"We were in control of the game," said Trevor Keeper, Red Deer Polytechnic Kings Hockey Head Coach. "I know we were getting outshot, but we took too many penalties."

The Kings were penalized for eight infractions and were outshot 53-23.

The Red Deer Polytechnic Kings struck first. At 17:20 of the first period, Mathieu Lapointe beat Thunder netminder Griffin Bowerman on the stick side. Chance Longjohn and Ryley Smith had the helpers.

Lapointe (91)

The home team went up by a pair five minutes into the middle frame. Sean Michalevich raced up the left and beat Bowerman high on the short side for his second goal in three games.

"Sean uses his size. He's only 20 years old and could still be playing junior. It took him a while to adjust, but once he got into the lineup, like he did against Briercrest, and again tonight, he is effective," said Keeper.

"He keeps it simple and uses his strength. His biggest weapon is he gets his shot off very quickly. At six-foot-four 225 pounds, it's a bullet."

Before the end of the period, the Thunder got on the board. Tristan Gagnon capitalized off a turnover in the Kings' zone and quickly snapped it past Weersink to pull the visitors within one.

Sam-Jaxon Visscher replaced Bowerman in Concordia's net late in the frame. 

Early in the third period, Concordia's Xavier Parenteau knotted the contest 2-2.

At 4:55, the Kings power play went to work. Konrad Belcourt struck with the extra skater to lift RDP up 3-2.

Just over three minutes later, the Thunder's power play responded. Rylan Nivon found room behind Weersink for the equalizer.

"Going up 3-2, we have to be able to hold onto that. Even when it's 3-3, we are in control and we've been good in overtime," said Keeper. "When you take a penalty late in the game, it's deflating because you spend so much time and energy killing that penalty and that eats at what you got left in the tank to go into overtime."

The home team took a penalty with 2:23 left in regulation time.

During four-on-four overtime, Weersink made the initial save but Concordia's Brandon Wallis capitalized on the rebound, high on the glove side. The RDP Kings earned a point in the standings. 

Weersink received the North Star Sports Kings Player of the Game award. Wallis was chosen for the Thunder.

"Arik came back from Christmas and he knew it was going to be 12 games and then the playoffs. He wants to be the guy. He came in prepared," said Keeper.

"He hit a little bit of speedbump with the COVID-19 rapid testing. He was asymptomatic and had to sit out 10 days right before the Briercrest series. He's played really well in these three games considering he missed that time right at the start of the semester."

Collectively, Bowerman and Visscher made 20 saves in Concordia's net.

The RDP Kings connected once on six power plays. The Concordia University Thunder went one-for-seven.

The Kings (4-1-2-0) and Thunder (6-0-0-1) will meet in Edmonton on Saturday, January 29 at 7 pm.