The Lightning started the week off strong with a 5-2 win over Ponoka, but dropped the ball on the weekend with back-to-back losses against Three Hills and Mountain View.
In their second fixture against Stampeders in less than a week, the Lightning were comfortable at the Stettler Rec centre after they scored their first goal in the second minute through Dyland Houston and three minutes later their second with Adam Ternes. The visitors made a great effort to put pressure on the hosts but they had difficulty in delivering the finishing shots. Nevertheless, they managed to score two before the end of the game while the remaining three goals for the Lightning came from Derek Muhlbach, Scott Ternes and a second one from Houston.
On Friday, Dec. 19, the Lightning headed to Trochu to play the Three Hills Thrashers, and were thrashed by the home team 5-2.
The game started in Stettler’s favour, with only one goal in the first, that by the Lightning’s Dylan Houston. The Thrashers took the ice with a vengeance in the second, though, keeping the Lightning on their toes. After tying and passing the Lightning with two goals, the Thrashers gave ground while shorthanded. Taking advantage of the man-advantage, Reese Anheliger evened up the score.
Penalties cost the Lightning in the third period, as the Thrashers drew ahead by two goals, each on a powerplay. A last-ditch attempt had the Lightning send their goalie, Jordan McCallum, back to the bench for the man-advantage, but backfired when the Thrashers scored on the empty net.
Smarting from the loss, the Lightning then travelled to Didsbury to play the Mountainview Colts on Dec. 20, where they were trampled 7-4.
The Colts owned the first period, scoring four times, once on a powerplay, before the buzzer rang. They continued the scoring trend for the first five minutes of the second before Adam Ternes scored an unassisted goal against the home team, netting the first goal for the Lightning. It was followed by another about 10 minutes later, as Matt Johannson took advantage of a powerplay, and then again four minutes later when Jake Schwarzenberger netted another powerplay goal.
Schwarzenberger closed the gap with a second goal in the opening minutes of the third period, bringing the score to 4-6, but it was the last score for the Lightning, who let in another score in the last two minutes of the game, leading to a 7-4 finish.
Stettler is now in sixth place of the seven-team northern division, and plays next on Jan. 4 in Medicine Hat. On Jan.9, 10 and 13, the Lightning play here at home, with games beginning on Jan. 9 and 10 starting at 7:30 p.m., and Jan. 13 at 8:15 p.m.