By MorinvilleNews.com Staff
After enduring a brutal 2023-2024 season that saw the Kings at the bottom of the pack with a 1-13-1 record, the Morinville Senior AA Kings kicked off their 2024-2025 campaign with a promising start, defeating the Westlock Warriors 5-3 on the road Saturday night. Fans of the Kings were eager to see how the team would rebound after a challenging year, and the season opener delivered a much-needed win.
The game saw solid performances across the board for the Kings, including standout efforts from Cole Gupta, who notched a hat trick, and goalie Aaron Petten, who stood strong in the net to help seal the victory.
The Warriors struck first in the opening period, with Westlock’s Blair Boulerice scoring a power-play goal at 6:03, assisted by Mike and Scott Ivey, giving the home team a 1-0 lead.
Morinville responded in the second period, tying the game at 14:59 when Torbin Mustooch found the back of the net on a power play, assisted by Mason Ducharme and Seth Williams. The Kings gained momentum, and just over three minutes later, Cole Gupta scored his first of the night at 11:34, putting Morinville ahead 2-1. Gupta’s goal was set up by Oliver Lovely and Seth Williams.
The third period saw a flurry of goals. Brayden Hollet extended Morinville’s lead to 3-1 with an unassisted goal at 17:29. But Westlock fought back, with Jayce Matson narrowing the gap at 16:03, assisted by Jesse Morrison. Morinville struck again, however, as Gupta scored his second goal, a power-play tally, at 9:26, assisted by Ducharme and Petten. He completed his hat trick just a minute later at 8:10, assisted by Lovely and Maddux Nollski, extending the lead to 5-2.
Westlock’s Nathan Brown closed the scoring at 3:54, with assists from Liam O’Callaghan and Mackenzie Mindus, but the Kings held on for the 5-3 victory.
The Morinville Senior AA Kings will look to build on this win with two upcoming matchups on the road and at home. On Friday, Oct. 25, they’ll face the Devon Barons. On Saturday, Oct. 26, they will host the Stony Plain Eagles at 8 p.m.
