The Prince Rupert peewee rep hockey team was in action over the weekend at the Jim Ciccone Civic Centre.
After dropping Saturday night’s game 4-1 to Smithers, the Seawolves looked to bounce back Sunday morning in the rematch and they would eventually emerge victorious in game two, taking it 4-3.
The first frame started out the way the Seawolves wanted, as they were able to gain the zone often. Nolan Stava created some early chances, and much of the play was in Smithers’ end.
Ivan Handrard of Smithers went against the run of play and scored a very nifty backhand goal, top corner to put Smithers in front 1-0.
But the Seawolves did not give up at all and pressed for the equalizer. Penalties were common and after a penalty to Jonathan Pirillo of Prince Rupert, Handrard hit the post.
Aiden Watkinson was a force for the Seawolves all morning, going hard to the net, and drawing a penalty.
Braeden Anderson continued the smart play, putting the puck on goal with traffic. Rupert captain Ben Northcott took the puck from his own blue line and was able to get in on goal and scored far side, low on the Smithers goaltender. More Rupert penalties followed and the period ended 1-1.
The second period started with Rupert short-handed. Rupert goalie Jacob Gordon played well, and helped the Seawolves kill the penalty.
A give-away up the middle hurt the Seawolves as Handrard capitalized on a wrist shot from the slot making it 2-1 Smithers. Prince Rupert’s Arlen Deschamp then pounced and scored to tie the game up 2-2. Momentum shifted and Stava went end to end and buried, making it 3-2 for Prince Rupert at the end of two frames.
The athletes worked hard and chances were created at both ends of the ice. Stava fed Deschamp and he scored making it 4-2.
James Shorter of Smithers took advantage of a giveaway at the Rupert blue line, and went in on a breakaway, finishing with a nice forehand-backhand deke from to close the gap 4-3. Gordon stopped the remainder of the shots that came Rupert’s way. The game ended in a 4-3 win for the Seawolves.
“Our game is about speed and puck movement. We took it to them in the first, we had a few breakdowns in the first part of the second, but we came back.
“To a man I think we outplayed them and took advantages of the chances we got. [There was] a lot of character displayed today, I think that’s one of the keys to our victory,” said coach Bruce Watkinson.
The peewees’ next action comes in the form of road play as they head to Kitimat for two games on Jan. 9 and 10.
