After losing their season opener in Red Deer, the Stettler Thunder Novice lacrosse team delivered a decisive 9-2 victory against the Innisfail Phantoms in their first home game of the year at the Stettler Recreation Centre (SRC) blue arena on Saturday, April 22.
Archer Hunt and Ethan Raab both scored three goals for Stettler, while Hunt helped out with three assists and Raab was credited with one assist.
Other goalscorers for Stettler were Kingsley Brown and Kole Lang with one goal each.
The Novice team began their season with an eye-opener game in Red Deer, where they lost 4-2 to the Red Deer Chiefs.
Stettler goalscorers in that game were Raab and Layton Pierson.
Taking on Innisfail at home, however, the team looked much more comfortable, controlling the play and racking up plenty of goals.
“It was a very good game considering it was our second game of the season,” said team manager Dan Hunt.
Head coach Carmen Cox agreed that the team’s play was greatly improved from the first game.
“Passing and team play seemed to be a lot better,” he added.
Cox credited the improvement to the practice time between the first and second games.
“The players hadn’t really been on the floor at all before the first game,” Cox commented.
While the players are all at least in their second year of lacrosse, and many play hockey as well, Cox noted that allowing the players more floor time in the past few weeks helped them feel more comfortable heading into the game against Innisfail.
Stettler Thunder Novice will be heading to Red Deer on Saturday, April 29, for their next game of the season.
Their next home game will be at 2 p.m. on Sunday, May 7 at the SRC blue arena, where they will face off against the Lacoka team, which brings together players from Lacombe and Ponoka.