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Grizzlys even record with home win Friday

The Olds Grizzlys are in a five-way tie for the south division lead in the Alberta Junior Hockey League following a 4-1 triumph on home ice Friday against the Canmore Eagles.

The Olds Grizzlys are in a five-way tie for the south division lead in the Alberta Junior Hockey League following a 4-1 triumph on home ice Friday against the Canmore Eagles.

The win evened the team's record at 2-2 following losses on Wednesday (5-2 to the Calgary Canucks) and Tuesday (3-2 to the Calgary Mustangs).

Grizzlys head coach Kevin Willison said following the game Friday the hard work the team put in the previous two games finally paid off.

“I think even in the previous two games the guys played hard … and it was nice to just see them get rewarded for their hard work tonight, scoring four goals,” he said.

The Grizzlys controlled the play right from the opening face-off, outshooting the Eagles 18-4 in the first period, taking a 1-0 lead into the second on a goal by Spencer Dorowicz.

Dorowicz potted his second of the game in the second period before the team ran into penalty trouble and went down two men for 1:39 as both Lucas Grundy and Clay Howe got collared for boarding penalties. After killing off the disadvantage with tight defence, the Grizzlys went up 3-0 when Tanner Dunkle scored just over a minute after the two penalty kills.

“That goal … after that five-on-three penalty kill for sure was a turning point in the game. The guys worked hard … so that's a great sign,” Willison said.

Dorowicz agreed.

“Big momentum boost after killin' that five-on-three. And then to get that goal was huge for our team,” he said, noting the team looks to build on the solid effort against the Eagles going into Thursday's game against the Drumheller Dragons on home ice.

Dorowicz said the Grizzlys came hard out of the gate against the Eagles as the team has had trouble with their western rival in the past and didn't want to give them any momentum.

“That first period, we needed that quick spark (to) get goin' against these guys. We've had some trouble against them in the past so we got that first one and we just thought we'd roll from there,” he said.

Brandon Clowes for the Grizzlys and Davis Claffey with an unassisted marker for the Eagles rounded out the game's scoring.

Grizzlys defenceman Craig Gans may be facing league discipline following a hip check he delivered in the third period that referee Jared Greenberg deemed a five-minute major penalty for a hit to the head, which also carries an automatic game misconduct. Asked about the incident following the game, Willison came to the defence of the alternate captain.

“The league is certainly going to review it, but the one thing you have to understand is that it was a hip check and the guy tried to duck underneath it. It was just a hip check so the league will review it and they'll decide whether a suspension (is warranted),” he said.

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