The Rockyview Silvertips junior B lacrosse team finished last season sixth place last year in the South Division with a 5-15 record, while the team finished the regular season scoring 137 goals, an average of close to seven goals per game, while giving up 205 goals an average of just over 10 per game. With a pair of convincing wins on June 2 and 3, the 'Tips are upped their record to 7-3 on the campaign and are currently in first place in the Central Division, something that didn't happen once over the course of the 2017 regular season. The Silvertips have scored a division high 113 goals while only giving up 76 on the season, showing the huge contrast from one season to the next. The action packed weekend began on June 2 when the Silvertips travelled to Lethbridge to face the Barracudas. The game was never close from start to finish, as Rockyview tallied up an astounding 10 goals in the first period with five coming off the stick of forward Matthew Dyck and the other five coming from Logan Ellis, Nolan Oakey, Christian Scott, Keelan Degethoff and Noah Deitz which put the visitors up 10-2 after the first frame. The offence slowed down in the second period for Rockyview, but they still managed to pump five goals past the Barracudas goaltender as Nolan Oakey completed his hat trick, Hunter McChesney scored twice and Josh Halcro scored one of his own ... the score after two read 15-6 in favour of the Silvertips with one period left to play. Keelan Degethoff, Colby Gulutzan Mathew Flanmenspeck and Nolan Oakey finished off the 19 goal output from the visitors in the third period, washing away the Barracudas and handing them their seventh loss of the season with a 19-8 victory. Rockyview returned to Cochrane for their second game in as many nights against the lowly Sherwood Park Titans, who had only won one game on the season and were heading into this contest on a five game losing streak. The 'Tips once again scored 10 goals in the first frame with a number of players chipping in and putting themselves on the score sheet. Josh Halcro started the party and the Silvertips built up a 7-0 lead off goals from Logan Ellis, Colby Gulutzan, Noah Deitz, Carson Gron, Josh Halcro and Mathew Flanmenspeck before Sherwood Park got on the board with their first goal of the game. Hunter McChesney spoiled that celebration though as the recent call up player scored back-to-back goals within two minutes of the Titans scoring their lone marker of the period. Patrick Morrow finished off the scoring in the frame with 33 seconds remaining. The second was much of the same as the Silvertips fired eight goals past the struggling Titans netminder off the sticks of Hunter McChesney, Colby Gulutzan, Carson Gron, Josh Halcro, Mathew Flanmenspeck, Nolan Oakey and Matthew Dyck. Gulutzan completed his hat trick at the 6:33 mark of the second and scored his fourth, fifth and sixth goals of the game in the third with Nathan Lam, Nolan Oakey and Matthew Dyck all chipping in to finish off the scoring while giving Rockyview a decisive 24-5 victory. Team captain Nolan Morrison believes the two games over the weekend were quite possibly the team's best performances of the season so far. "As a team, we're always coming to the arena prepared to battle for those two points and I think that's part of the reasoning for the success we've had at this point in the year," Morrison said. "We've had a lot of success getting to the tough areas on the floor and getting those high percentage scoring chances. I think one area we can always work on is fine tuning our special teams to give us that extra edge in close match ups." Morrison also commented on the fact that there have been some very noticeable changes from this year's squad to last with almost all of them being positive. "It's definitely exciting to be up there in the standings fighting for a playoff position. Right now we're just trying to take the remainder of the season one game at a time," said the Silvertips captain. "With that being said, it would be very hard not to recognize how much has changed within a year. Everything from our point production to our goals against is noticeably different, but I think the biggest difference is being able to take that winning attitude out on the floor with us each and every night." "With the success we've had on the scoreboard as a group this season, the confidence is certainly there and I think that can be a tough attribute for other teams to defend against." The Silvertips defender also commented on the fact that he's happy with how his play has gone so far this season. "I just try to do my job and take each night shift by shift," Morrison said. "Having a team that I know I can count on is an asset that definitely helps take some of the pressure off me. I just want to continue playing hard every night and try to help my team win." The Silvertips will only play one game this upcoming weekend, when they're in Olds to take on the Mavericks on June 10.
