A week ago the Chase Heat came out of a three game eastern swing with no points but endured a great character-building weekend. This past weekend the results came to the forefront as the Heat thermometer was cranked up to a nice comfortable setting for fans.
Friday the 4th in Sicamous versus the Eagles saw the local junior squad walk away with a well-deserved 3-1 victory. The division nemesis did not get the better of the boys. Jake Mattes stopped all but one of the 37 fired at him, while his teammates scored twice on five chances on the power play. Kurtis Johnson started things in the first, followed by big defenceman Braden Hughes in the second, both on the powerplay. Heat scoring was concluded by Kaleb Boyle who potted an empty netter. The bus ride home was enjoyable to say the least.
On Sunday at Art Holding Memorial Arena the Heat played host to the Creston Valley Thunder Cats. All 200 in attendance will tell those who stayed home that this was one of the most entertaining games in the short Heat history.
Lots of firsts in this one for the home side. Boyle started things off halfway through the first on the power play followed by a short-handed marker from Zac Hoskins. Then Ryan Beach got his first of the season with a little more than a minute left. In the second the Cats took a 4-3 lead before Hoskins got his second of the game on the power play to tie things up. In the third Stu Beckett got his first of the season, followed by Hoskins finishing off a hat trick by getting his third of the game and second on the power play. Connor Venne wrapped it up with a shorthanded empty netter with 10 seconds left. Mike Byer went the distance between the pipes, stopping 28 of the 33 shots sent his way for his first victory of the season. Hoskins finished with four points, Nic Fidanza with four assists, Venne with a goal and two assists in a hard-working effort by the entire Heat roster. Next home game is tonight versus the 100 Mile House Wranglers.
