A hard second period in last Saturday’s game buried the ‘Roos.
Despite out scoring the Williams Lake Stampeders in the first and third on the road last weekend, the ‘Roos lost the game 8-5.
“As a team we decided we would be known as a hardworking team and we fell off that in the second period,” coach Brian Kozak said.
“The big thing for the team is how do we react to that. And we reacted just the way we’re supposed to. We didn’t whine or complain, we pulled up our socks and came back in the third.”
The ‘Roos started off the scoring with Braden Penner sending the puck in at 4:51.
The tied it up Stampeders half-way through the first, but they didn’t stay out in front for very long.
Just two minutes after Williams Lake’s equalizer, Levon Johnson got an unassisted goal to put the ‘Roos in front for the rest of the first.
“We carried more than our share of the play,” Kozak said.
The trouble came in the second, with a couple hard penalties that set the ‘Roos off their game.
A hit by Braden Penner turned into a fight, which cost the ‘Roos two defencemen they couldn’t afford.
Throwing Troy McMillan and Dany Kirkham, two forwards, on defence, the ‘Roos tried to keep up the momentum.
The Stampeders took control of the second, taking the wind out of the ‘Roos. They ran the score, putting them up five goals on the ‘Roos, who couldn’t manage a goal in the second.
A dressing room talk from Kozak brought the team back in line for the third.
“We came back in the third outscored them three to one, out shot them three to one. We just didn’t come back enough,” Kozak said.
Kozak was impressed by the dedication of the team, despite going into the third down by five and being outplayed in the second.
With the bad taste of the second still on their palate, the ‘Roos hit the ice hard and scored within the first two minutes of the period.
Nick Tomassetti netted a shorthanded goal unassisted to start the ‘Roos up.
The Stampeders didn’t just sit on their heels with the lead, managing to score again five minutes into the period.
The ‘Roos rounded out their five points with goals by Joel Boyetchko and Jeff Gagnon in his first game of the season.
This weekend the ‘Roos face off against the Smithers Steelheads, who didn’t lose a game last year in the regular season and the Houston Luckies on Sunday.
Game time is 7:30 p.m. on Saturday and 1 p.m. on Sunday.
