VIKINGS CONQUER VOYAGEURS IN EXHIBITION REMATCH

CAMROSE –  According to an old idiom, turnabout is fair play. At least, the Augustana Vikings certainly think so. Two weeks after losing 3-2 to the Portage College Voyageurs at the Bold Centre, the Vikings returned the favour, besting the visiting Voyageurs by the same 3-2 score on October 4.

Parker Layton scored the eventual game winner on the powerplay late in the second period in an evenly played game, on the scoreboard and on the shot clock. In fact, the only thing that wasn't close to even was the penalty tally, with the Voyageurs playing shorthanded several times – including a couple of five-on-threes – but never enjoying a man advantage of their own. It's a familiar theme for the oft-penalized Voyageurs, and one that Head Coach Kevin McClelland wants to nip in the bud before the regular season starts in a couple of weeks.

"It was a really even game," he said on the Monday following the loss. "I thought our guys played well but we didn't have a powerplay and I think they had seven or something like that…Our guys have to realize that last year was tough in that category, you know, getting penalties by yapping etc. and we've got to cut our losses this year."

Returning players Stavros Koutsantonis and Tye Evans scored for Portage while Tressor Wotton made 32 saves in the loss. As he helps prepare the Voyageurs for the rigours of another ACAC regular season, McClelland will be counting on veterans like the trio listed above to provide support and leadership this year for a new crop of rookies joining the team this year.

"We've got a lot of young guys," he said. "We're pretty young on the back end but we're just a team that keeps going out there and making it hard for other teams to play and we'll do the same thing again this year."

Kicking off the regular season with a home-and-home series October 17 and 18 against the same Vikings' squad should help the Voyageurs be ready from the first whistle, he added.

"We know what we're playing against and we know what we have to do to be successful so it was great to play them in exhibition games and now we look forward to the regular season," said McClelland.