The Lethbridge midget AAA Hurricanes kicked off 2018 with three points last weekend.
The Canes defeated the Edmonton SSAC Boston Pizza Athletics 6-3 Saturday afternoon at Nicholas Sheran Arena and then headed to Airdrie Sunday and tied the CFR Bisons 5-5 in Alberta Midget Hockey League action.
The win and the tie keep the Hurricanes atop the league at 19-3-4, two points ahead of the Red Deer Optimist Chiefs.
In Saturday’s home win, the Canes led the Athletics 3-1 after the second period and added three more goals in the third. Daniel Anton netted the hat trick for Lethbridge.
Ridly Greig and Anton scored in the first period before Anton added his second of the game in the middle period.
Nicholas Draffin, Anton and Ronan Seeley rounded out the scoring.
Greig put up two assists for a three-point game and Draffin had one assist for two points.
Carson Dyck and Michael Horon each had two assists, while Carl Tetachuk made 23 saves.
Another three-goal third period allowed the Hurricanes to secure the tie Sunday in Airdrie as Lethbridge trailed 3-2 after 40 minutes.
Kye Buchanan opened the scoring for the Hurricanes in the first period and Dylan Nevil added Lethbridge’s second-period goal.
Kadyn Chabot tied it at 3-3 in the third before Airdrie regained the lead.
The Canes tied it again with a goal from Seeley a little under three minutes later, but the Bisons went up 5-4 with 3:48 to go.
Chabot scored his second of the game with 2:30 to go for the tie.
Buchanan and Seeley also has an assist each for two points and Horon added two assists.
Byron Fancy made 19 saves for the Canes.
The Hurricanes return home this weekend for a pair of games.
In a clash of the top two teams in the league, they host the Chiefs Saturday at 3 p.m. at Nicholas Sheran Arena.
The team is back at Nicholas Sheran Arena Sunday when they host the Calgary Northstars at 2:45 p.m.