Thunderbirds Victorious in First Two Exhibition Games
Nov 11, 2019
The Halifax Thunderbirds played their first two exhibition games in franchise history against Georgia and New England this past weekend at ILA in Six Nations, Ontario and came out on top in both.
“Overall I thought everyone in camp was outstanding,” said Head Coach Mike Accursi. “the coaching staff put a lot of time and effort into scouting and making sure the right guys came into camp. I think the results speak for themselves. We had two outstanding games. All our goalies played well. Our defense was solid and aggressive, and our offensive players put the ball into the net.”
The Thunderbirds took home two victories this past weekend, winning 19-9 over New England and 21-14 against Georgia. In the game against Georgia, Ryan Benesch scored four goals and four assists, Kyle Jackson scored three goals and an assist and Jake Withers taking home a goal, an assist while going 18/22 at the X.
In the win against New England, Jake Lazore made 21 saves on 24 shots, Ryan Benesch scored five goals and two assists making him a standout this weekend while Jake Withers was 4-5 at the X.
“I think the weekend went better than anyone expected,” said veteran forward Cody Jamieson. “We were able to get a look at a lot of our players against some very good competition. Everyone performed very well. I would hate to be in a position to make cuts because everyone made a very real case to be a part of this Thunderbirds team.”
During the weekend, Clarke Petterson and Clay Scanlon made an impression on the coaching staff. After being drafted 5th overall, Clarke Petterson lived up to expectations and was excellent in both games. Clay Scanlon played well and was impressive on loose balls and created offensive opportunities for himself and teammates considering he was one of the youngest players drafted in this year’s draft
“Our Veterans Cody Jamieson and Kyle Jackson continue to lead by example and offer great floor presence and leadership,” said Mike Accursi. “Our defensive core who are led by Graeme Hossack and Scott Campbell are amazing and the two young guys; Nonkon Thompson and Trevor Smyth look impressive.”