The Rocky Rams continue their winning ways from the end of the season after taking a 1-0 series lead following a 6-3 win over the Sylvan Lake Wranglers.

The start of the first period didn’t go as planned for the Rams, when the Wranglers scored the game’s first goal just 1:38 into the first period. The Wranglers goal didn’t sit well with the Rams, however, as the Rams would tie up the game just under three minutes later when Dawson Ashcroft scored with an assist from Silas Buijs to open the scoring for the Rams. The Rams would continue to press the Wranglers and it paid off when Grady Mofford scored late in the period on the power play to give the Rams a 2-1 lead. Kyle Humphrey and Nick Jervis assisted on the play.

The second period began strong again for the Wranglers when Foxx Doell scored another opening period goal just 2:52 into the middle frame with Payton Wright assisting on the goal to tie the game at 2-2. The Rams would once again answer quickly, however, when Nick Jervis would score his first of the playoffs on the power play, just four minutes after the Wranglers tied the game, making it 3-2 for Rocky Mountain House, with Silas Buijs and Parker Stewart assisting on the goal.

Sylvan Lake would then tie the game at 3-3, when the Wranglers Zachary Daniels managed an unassisted goal at 16:11. As the Rams had done repeatedly throughout the game, they would answer shortly after when Nick Jervis notched his second of the game, from Tristan Hoffus, giving the Rams the lead back at 4-3.

The third period started off strong for the Ram’s when Nick Jervis got an unassisted goal to complete the hat-trick, just over one minute into the period, giving the Rams a 5-3 lead. The Rams would take their foot off the gas though, after Silas Buijs scored, with assists coming from Grady Mofford and Kyle Humphrey, making it three unanswered goals. Being the last goal of the game, the Rams would take game one of the best of three series, 6-3.

The Rams would get out-shot 31-22, but a solid game between the pipes for Rams goalie Devon Carroll, stopping 28 of 31 shots and a great performance by captain Nick Jervis (3G, 1A) would lead the Rams to victory.

The Rams have a chance to wrap up the series with a game two win over the Sylvan Lake Wranglers on Friday, Feb. 11, at the Rocky Arena. Puck drop is at 8:30 p.m.