At 5-foot-8, Logan Robinson might not be towering, but he definitely is looked up to by his Carrot River Outback Thunder teammates.
“Robo is just a strong guy – strong on the puck,” said Trevor Logan, the Thunder’s head coach. “He can and has put up points in this league and we need to lean on his experience. He plays with an edge and intensity that is good to set the tone for the young guys as long as he doesn’t cross that line of too intense.”
Robinson is an assistant captain for the squad. He is also counted on for points production. Through 25 games, the 182-pound forward from Minnedosa, Man. has 14 goals, 32 points, and 94 penalty minutes. An injury kept Robinson out of the lineup earlier in the season. Last week Robinson scored an overtime power-play goal to propel Carrot River past the league-leading Saskatoon AGI Insurance Quakers, 3-2.
“[Chandler Ashcroft] got the puck to the net and Robo battled hard to tuck in the rebound,” Logan said.
The victory on a three-game road trip was sandwiched between losses to the Saskatoon Royals, 5-2, and the Delisle Chiefs, 6-5. Carrot River is 15-12-7 this Prairie Junior Hockey League season.
“We didn’t show up to play an important game on Friday... We bounced back and fought hard to get one in OT on Saturday versus the Quakers and maybe ran out of gas and short a few bodies [Sunday] but battled to the buzzer,” Logan said. “We made some plays [Sunday] due to fatigue that we can’t make, but we didn’t quit which is a positive.
The head coach said the three games in three days last week was by design shortly before the playoffs.
“We will have short turnarounds come playoffs so this was a good test,” Logan said. “We need to clean a few things up and get everyone healthy and I think we will be ready.”
This weekend Carrot River hosts a pair of PJHL tilts. The Prince Albert Titans (6-25-2) visit on Friday night with the Quakers (28-2-2) in town on Saturday.
Robinson is in his third season with the Thunder.
“What I’ve enjoyed the most is all the new people and friends I have met, not just on the team but in the community as well,” said the 20-year-old, who would like to return for his fourth season with the Thunder. “I always feel welcome wherever I go in the town and am proud to call this town my second home.”
Using what he has learned in the PJHL, Robinson strives to help the younger players.
“I feel the best way I lead the team is by example, and being ready to play every day and leaving it all on the ice in hopes that everyone else will do the same,” he said.
Last week
Carrot River forward Justin Cay scored the third period’s lone goal on Jan. 21 to force overtime between the Quakers and the Thunder. Robinson then delivered the game winner in the extra session.
Tyrell Wenig had the Thunder’s other goal. All of Carrot River’s goals came on the power play. The Thunder scored on three of their 12 power play chances, while the Quakers failed to score on four power play opportunities. Goalie Kolton Holmen made 48 saves for Carrot River.
The Thunder fell 5-2 to the Royals on Jan. 20. After the teams were deadlocked at 1-1 following the first period, the Royals took a 3-2 lead before the second intermission. Saskatoon added a pair of goals in the third period.
Nick Peterson and Austin Linnen scored for the Thunder. Carrot River goalie Ben Gilbertson made 22 saves on 27 shots. The Thunder outshot the Royals, 39-27.
The three-game road trip concluded with a 6-5 loss to the Chiefs on Jan. 22. Carrot River trailed 3-1 and 4-2 at the intermissions but continued to battle. Scoring for the Thunder were Linnen (two), Levi Logan, Ashcroft and Robinson. Holmen had 33 saves.
Catching up
Dallas McIntosh (2013-14) has a career-high four goals and five points in 18 games for the Concordia University of Edmonton hockey team.
“Dallas is in his third year with our team and has grown into his position as an important role player,” head coach Daniel Glegloff said. “He is enrolled in our bachelor of management program at Concordia. As a player, Dallas has been a great teammate and has worked hard to make himself the best player he can be!”
The Lucky Lake product spent one season with the Thunder after playing two years with the PJHL’s Cypress Cyclones.
