Broncos Abused By Calgary

[Scout]

Last updated at 9:33 PM on 03/10/07

Broncos abused by Hitmen in lopsided loss
SOUTHWEST BOOSTER SPORTS
The Southwest Booster


Playing their second of five road games in seven days, the Swift Current Broncos failed to an extend a two-game winning streak in Calgary against the Hitmen with a 7-2 loss Wednesday night.

Playing the Hitmen four days after a trade that resulted in Kyle Bortis and Paul Postma in Hitmen jerseys and Keegan Dansereau in a Broncos uniform, the Hitmen got the better of the Broncos on the scoreboard and on the shot clock.

The game did not start well for the Broncos who were whistled for five penalties, outshot 15-3, and trailed 2-0 after the first 20 minutes.

T.J. Galiardi opened the scoring 7:45 in, with his fourth goal of the season on the powerplay.

Ian Duval scored the Hitmen’s second powerplay goal of the period, his second of the season.

In the second period things went from bad to worse for the Broncos as they were outshot 20-1, allowed three goals, and headed to the second intermission trailing 5-1.

Ian Schultz stretched the Hitmen lead to 3-0 in the second period with an assist from former Bronco Kyle Bortis.

Geordie Wudrick attempted to kick-start a Bronco comeback with a powerplay goal, his fifth of the season. Wudrick, who has yet to register an assist, has scored in each of his last four games including game winners in Medicine Hat on Saturday and in Lethbridge on Tuesday.

Bortis restored the three-goal lead for Calgary on the powerplay late in the middle frame with his first goal of the season.

Only moments later Ryan White staked the Hitmen to a 5-1 lead with his second goal of the season. White added three assists for a four-point evening.

17-year-old Broncos rookie netminder Ian Curtis replaced Travis Yonkman to begin the third period for his first taste of Western Hockey League regular season action with the game seemingly out of reach.

One bright spot for the Broncos was the first goal for recent addition Erik Felde who scored his fourth goal of the season and first in Broncos uniform after starting the season with Tri-City.

Curtis allowed goals to Matt McKenzie and Eric Frere in the 10 third period shots that he faced.

The final shot clock showed a 45-18 Hitmen advantage.

The loss drops the Broncos record to 3-2 and improves the Hitmen to 6-1. Friday the Broncos will be in Kamloops to take on the Blazers before a Saturday meeting with the Prince George Cougars.

[Scout]

Powerplay busts Broncs
UPDATED: 2007-10-04 03:14:05 MST

Hitmen light up Swift Current

By SCOTT FISHER, SUN MEDIA


So much for the power outage.

The Calgary Hitmen got goals from seven different players, snapped an 0-for-20 drought with the man advantage and blew the Swift Current Broncos out of the 'Dome with a 7-2 victory last night.

T.J. Galiardi, Ian Duval, Ian Schultz, Kyle Bortis, Ryan White, Matt Mackenzie and Eric Frere, with his first career goal in 150 WHL tilts, lit up the scoreboard for Calgary (6-1-0-0).

Geordie Wudrick and Erik Felde replied for Swift Current (3-2-0-0), who played their fifth game of a season-opening eight-game road trip.

White, who also had a trio of assists, said it felt good to see the powerplay producing once again.

"We've been struggling a little bit here," White said. "I think we just hadn't played together enough. It seems we got back to doing things we know we've been good at in the past.

"We got the puck back to Karl (Alzner) and he got some of those heavy shots on net and Duvey (Duval) was working hard in front."


Galiardi snapped the powerplay drought 7:45 into an opening period in which Calgary outshot the visitors 15-3. Alzner made a gorgeous pass from the point down low to Galiardi, who roofed a wrister over Broncos starter Travis Yonkman's shoulder.

The powerplay continued to click later in the frame when Alzner's one-timer was stopped and the puck was momentarily lost in a crowd of bodies in front. Duval located it, spun around and slipped a backhander into the back of the net.

The Hitmen continued to dominate in the second period. With the Broncos running around in their own zone for well over a minute, Schultz made them pay by tapping in a rebound.

After surrendering a half-dozen powerplays, the Broncos finally got their own opportunity with the man advantage and they made it count when Wudrick jammed home a rebound past Marty Jones.

But the Hitmen kept on coming. Bortis, playing against his ex-Broncos teammates for the first time, converted a cross-crease feed from Brett Sonne on another powerplay.

Bortis, who was traded along with d-man Paul Postma to Calgary on the weekend, said he relished beating his old teammates.

"Playing against your old team always gives you extra motivation," Bortis said. "You want to play that much better and prove they made a mistake by moving you."

[Believer]

and to top it all off......Bortis scored !!!!!