The air at the High River rec centre was thick with whistles and fists last Friday.

A whopping five game misconducts and another nine 10 minute misconducts were doled out in the Okotoks Bisons’ 2-1 win over the High River Flyers in Heritage Junior B Hockey League action in High River.

Jay McFarlane, Bisons coach and general manager, said he was disappointed the team came out flat during the first 40 minutes.

“We managed to maintain a 2-0 lead going into the third but I’d say we got outworked for sure by High River,” said McFarlane.

Brady Hoetmer and Derek Schlamp each scored for the Bisons. Hoetmer leads the Bisons with 15 goals and Schlamp has the points lead with 29, including 19 assists.

Chance DePaoli and Schlamp also recorded assists against High River.

What was a tight-checking match became increasingly chippy and an all-out brouhaha erupted when the Flyers ran Bisons goalie, Bryce Scherschel, resulting in a line brawl.

“There wasn’t much happening for the first two periods until that incident,” said McFarlane.

Bisons Colin MacMurdo and Chase Fallis along with Flyers Ryan Vekved and Bruce Perrins were given game misconducts once calm was restored. The Bisons’ bench was assessed a game misconduct earlier in the conest.

The win gives the Bisons 30 points, good enough for first place overall in the Heritage Junior Hockey League and firmly placing them atop the South Division with a 12-point lead over the Coaldale Copperheads.

The Bisons’ next game is Friday when the Rimbey Rock travel to the Murray Arena in Okotoks to face the Bisons starting at 8 p.m. The Bisons downed the Rock, 5-2, when the two teams last met Nov. 5.

“We are going to need to come focused and ready to play hockey and nothing else but hockey come Friday,” said McFarlane.

The Bisons head to Coaldale Saturday night to face the Copperheads. The last time the two teams met on Oct. 3, Okotoks left Coaldale with a 2-1 win.

McFarlane said he doesn’t expect to lose any players to suspensions this week as a result of the misconducts dealt on Nov. 20.

“Our work ethic is needing a little adjustment and that’ll be corrected this week in practices,” said McFarlane.

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