Max Reinhart notched three helpers to help lead the Kootenay Ice to a 3-1 victory over the visiting Prince Albert Raiders Saturday night at the Cranbrook Rec-Plex.

Joey Leach, Jesse Ismond and Drew Czerwonka scored for the Ice, with Leach and Czerwonka also picking up assists.

Mackenzie Skapski (pictured above) earned the victory in goal, stopping 28 of 29 shots in front of 2,700 Kootenay hockey fans.

The Ice began a weekend home stand Oct. 14 against the Lethbridge Hurricanes and skated to a hard-fought 2-1 victory in front of 2,643 fans.

Czerwonka and Elgin Pearce scored power play goals to lead the Ice.

Czerwonka seems to have taken his game, good enough for the Edmonton Oilers in 2011 to draft him in the sixth round, 166th overall, to a new level since being named captain on Oct. 13 by general manager Jeff Chynoweth. He improved his point totals by 30 points last year, finishing with 13 goals, 30 assists and 78 penalty minutes.

The 6’2”, 203 pound left wing Czerwonka, from Glenavon, Sask., is the 16^th captain in the franchise’s history.

The assistant captains will be Joe Antilla, Jesse Ismond , Joey Leach and Max Reinhart.

With the weekend victories the Ice moved to six wins, two losses and two shootout losses, good for 14 points and a share of first place in the Central Division with the 7-3 Medicine Hat Tigers and 6-3-1-1 and Edmonton Oil Kings.

Stingy netminding from league-leading Nathan Lieuwen and backup Skapski and committed team defense sees the Ice with the fewest goals against so far this season, with only 21 (2.1 per game).

The Ice have a tough week ahead, thanks to two road games this Monday (Oct. 17) and Tuesday (Oct. 18) in Lethbridge and Medicine Hat.

The next home game for the Ice is Saturday, Oct. 22 when the 6-2-1 Moose Jaw Warriors, featuring Quinton Howden, Dylan McIlrath and Brett Lyon.

Ian Cobb/e-KNOW

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