EAST ALTON – The Mississippi Valley Club Hockey Association began its season on Monday, November 3, at the East Alton Ice Arena.
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Alton hosted Edwardsville to break the ice.
The Tigers scored three first-period goals and added two more in the third on their way to a 5-0 opening night rout.
While it wasn’t Edwardsville’s first game of the season, it was Alton’s.
“It happens,” Alton head coach Bryan Clark said. “We looked like a team that was playing our first game of the season, and they looked like a team that’s played several games already, which they have.”
“Hats off to them. They skated around us like we were statues,” Clark continued. “So, pretty embarrassed with the showing from these boys tonight, but we’ve got to learn from it and hopefully tomorrow we can bounce back.”
Alton hosts Vianney on Tuesday, November 4, at 7:30 p.m.
The Tigers came into Monday’s MVCHA opener having already played six games.
They began their season 0-3 after a tough two-day tournament in early September. They went 2-1 in October, having last played on the 24th, a 7-0 loss to DeSmet.
Coming off that loss, it was important to get off to a good start in league action.
“For the first league game, against a good team, a good rival, we’re happy with it,” Edwardsville head coach Jason Walker said.
Reid Poettker broke the tie at 10:53 in the first period unassisted on a bar-down wrist shot that left Alton goalie Caiden Jockisch no chance.
Blake Huneke and Colton Boutelle also had first-period goals. Jackson Ruf and Michael Edwards both scored in the third. Poettker and Edwards each recorded assists. So did Gavin Osborn, Chase Schumacher, Will Whittaker, and Andrew Maurer.
The Tigers’ five goals came from five different players.
“For our team, that’s something that we’re going to have throughout the year,” Walker said. “On any given night, I think we have 12 forwards who can score.”
Edwardsville outshot Alton 30-17 in a game that had no penalties.
Walker was pleased with the league win over a quality opponent like Alton.
“We knew that they were going to be a good team,” he said on the Redbirds. “They were trending in that direction last year. They have some incredible players. They’re going to win a lot of hockey games. So, for us to come out with that win, we feel good moving forward.”
