With just over a month remaining in the regular season of the Heritage Junior Hockey League (HJHL) the Airdrie Techmation Thunder are looking to rack up as many wins as possible.

Last night, they got an important one over one of the teams ahead of them in the North Division.  Unfortunately for the Thunder, they lost the previous night against the team that's just a bit further ahead of them and leading the division standings.

Friday night Airdrie played host to the Sylvan Lake Wranglers at the Ron Ebbesen Arena.  Sylvan Lake came out on fire, scoring a pair of first-period goals and adding three more in the second to build up an insurmountable lead to go on to a 5 - 1 win over the Thunder.  Joey Haden connected on his 19th goal of the season the Wranglers' shutout bid in the third.

Sylvan Lake outshot Airdrie 31 - 25 and took just 10 minutes in penalties compared t0 18 for the Thunder.  Despite that margin, Haden's goal was the only one that came on the power play.

Last night against the Colts in Didsbury it looked as though things might turn out the same way as they did against the Wranglers as the Colts roared out to a 2 - 0 lead after just over three minutes into the contest.  Jacob Cathcart, the Thunder's Save-On-Foods Player of the Week from last week, would score his first of the night just over two minutes after Mountainview's second goal to pull Airdrie to within one heading into the second.

The middle frame would see the Thunder pull ahead with goals by Aidan Moore, Cathcart and Jared Miller for a 4 - 2 lead.  The Colts would add another before the period's end to make the score 4 - 3 Airdrie.

In the final period, Moore would score his second of the night before Mountainview countered just over a minute later to make it 5 - 4.  Goals from Joey Haden, his 20th of the campaign, and Jack Turton who added an empty-netter with just over two minutes remaining made the final 7 - 4 for Airdrie.

It was Airdrie's turn to outshoot their opponents as they fired 50 at Colts' goalie Chance Griffith while the Colts only managed to direct 36 at Austin White who got the start for the Thunder.

It wasn't a great weekend for the Colts who also lost Friday night, falling 6 - 4 to the Rocky Rams.  On the other hand, Sylvan Lake had a great weekend.  After their win over the Thunder on Friday, the Wranglers downed the Red Deer Vipers 6 - 4 last night.  The weekend results leave Sylvan Lake first in the North with 39 points from 19 wings, seven losses and one overtime loss.  Mountainview still holds down second with a record of 17-10-1 and 35 points.  Airdrie is one point back of the Colts with a 16-11-2 mark for 34 points.

Next action for the Thunder will be in Airdrie Friday night when they face the High River Flyers starting at 8:00 pm in the Ron Ebbesen Arena.  On Saturday the Thunder once again face the Wranglers in Sylvan Lake.   

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