The 100 Mile House Wranglers of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League have secured a playoff spot despite losing two of the last three games over the Family Day holiday weekend.
“I’m very disappointed,” said Dale Hladun, head coach and general manager. “Our defensive play was horrible. We needed a couple of key saves and I didn’t feel like either goaltender has done what they can do and lived to their potential.”
The action started on Feb. 15 against the Sicamous Eagles. The Wranglers won 4-1 but Hladun said the margin could have been more.
He was also happy that some of the younger players stepped up and provided some secondary scoring. Defencemen Ben Keon was one such player, getting two assists on goals by Cody Barnes and Kolby Page.
However, the comfort of a victory didn’t last long as the Wranglers conceded 16 goals and only scored two goals against the Kelowna Chiefs and the Revelstoke Grizzlies.
The two teams are the giants of the Okanagan/Shuswap Conference this season, each with over 40 wins. However, Hladun said his team were soft, despite some hints of good plays, particularly against Kelowna.
He’s said players haven’t been winning their one-on-one battles, which has been a recurring problem all season. There has also been some added distraction recently.
“At this time of the year a lot of these young kids on every team, including ours, are starting to get letters from Junior A inviting them to spring camps. I feel like that is a distraction. I feel some of our guys are reading their press clippings and going oh, I got some Junior A interest. All that is an opportunity. That’s not a commitment. That’s an opportunity and that’s an invite,” he said. “When kids are coming into my office asking about that stuff I get a little disappointed because that shouldn’t be their focus at this time of year. Their focus is winning, their focus is getting better, their focus is doing what our team needs them to do. I just don’t feel like some of our guys are in that zone.”
He did say he has been happy with some key vets, who have provided steady leadership, but still feels like the players should be on edge rather than in a comfort zone, especially with the next two (and last) games being crucial.
Hladun and his boys will be playing Chase Heat on Feb. 22 at home. Even though Chase is in last place in the division, he called them proud and with nothing to lose. They will make every attempt to make a statement for next season, as well as ending this year on a high note.
After that, the Wranglers will head out to play Kamloops on Feb. 23. Kamloops is still locked in a battle for third place against Sicamous. Whoever ends up in third place in the division will be the team 100 Mile House will play in the first round of the playoffs. Because of this, Kamloops will be playing at their best because it would be in their best interest, as whoever comes in fourth will have to play Revelstoke.
The two last games will also be a battle for the two Wranglers goalkeepers, Miles Minor and Jakob Gullmes.
“I’m analyzing who I am going to have as a starting goalie,” said Hladun. “I’m going to see who is going to step up and who’s going to earn the confidence of the team and we’re going to run with that guy. I’m not picking a guy, they got to show me who the guy is.”
