Every year for the Summerland Steam, it seems that when the calendar flips to November it’s a relief.
This season was no exception after a tough month of October that saw them stumble to a 4-7 record in the month.
When the calendar turned to November the Summerland Steam were owners of an 8-8 record, and sat in third place in the Okanagan Division behind the rival Kelowna Chiefs and Osoyoos Coyotes.
November is statistically the month that seems to turn it all around for the boys in white, red and black, and that was indeed the case this past month.
Forwards Jack Mills, Riley Pettitt, and Steam captain Paulsen Lautard led the team to an 8-1 record for November, with the only loss coming in the final game of the month against the Osoyoos Coyotes.
Mills, a 20-year-old from Delta, collected the KIJHL’s Okanagan Shuswap Conference Player of the Month Award for November, collecting 10 goals and four assists for 14 points in nine games.
He leads the Steam in scoring with 17 goals and 18 assists for 35 points, and sits sixth in league scoring through 26 games played.
In addition to Mills’ scoring prowess, Steam forward Riley Pettitt managed to carry a point streak all the way through the month of November, extending his streak to 13 games with two goals in a Dec. 1 victory.
Paulsen Lautard has been helping the cause as well, collecting four goals and six assists for 10 points in the nine games played in November.
Summerland’s captain is now just 1 goal shy of tying the franchise record of 57, currently held by Penticton native Dylan Burton.
Though the offense came to life in the month of November, it was really the goaltending and team defense that helped the Steam carry a nine-game winning streak into the final game of the month on Nov. 28 in Osoyoos.
Late in October, Summerland elected to make a change in goal and acquire the playing rights to 20-year-old goaltender Jacob Mullen.
Mullen, from Couer d’Alene, Idaho, is a KIJHL veteran who had spent time in Grand Forks and Kamloops before starting this season with the Okotoks Oilers of the Alberta Junior Hockey League.
Summerland’s new goaltender wasted no time proving his worth to his new team, making seven starts and winning six of them in his first full month with the team.
For the month of November, Mullen posted a 6-1 record, a 1.57 goals against average, and a 94.5 per cent save percentage, and has helped form what is now one of the best goaltending tandems in the KIJHL with fellow goaltender Matt Huber.
Huber held his own as well, making two starts and winning them both, allowing just two goals.
The marked improvement in goal for the Steam has had a direct correlation to their results. With sturdy goaltending and a good defensive zone presence, it makes life easier on the offense and allows them to push forward.
In the month of November as a team, the Steam scored 31 goals while allowing just 15 (two empty net goals), improving their goal differential by 16 and proving that they’re for real when it comes to both offense and defense.
Summerland will put their 8-1 November record (and 9 game winning streak) in the bank now and look forward to the month ahead.
They enter December in second place in the KIJHL’s Okanagan Division and started the month off with a 4-0 victory over the North Okanagan Knights on Tuesday, Dec. 1.
They’ll play just three more home games in the month of December.
You can catch KIJHL hockey action at the Summerland Arena on Friday Dec. 11 at 7:30 p.m. against the Kamloops Storm and Tuesday, Dec. 29 against the division rival Osoyoos Coyotes.
Tickets for all home games can be purchased in advance at Nesters Market, or at the door on game day.
