JOSH LOCKHART
The Kimberley Dynamiters looked very uncharacteristic in their first game of the Cyclone Taylor Cup against the Delta Ice Hawks.
“Definitely not the start we wanted.” Head coach and general manager Derek Stuart said.
The Ice Hawks had the best winning percentage between the KIJHL, VIJHL, and PJHL during the regular season, and they showed why against the Nitros.
“The first 8-10 minutes were good. We did establish a forecheck and had them on their heels, but after the first period, it just went down hill from there.”
At the 12:40 mark, the Ice Hawks scored and the Dynamiters could not get back into the game.
In the second, the Ice Hawks scored another two goals to secure a three goal lead.
The Dynamiters outshout the Hawks 7-1 in the third, but couldn’t find a goal, and lost the game 3-0.
“We looked like we were skating in cement this afternoon. When we are not skating, we are not going to beat too many teams.”
Cody Campbell was named the teams player of the game, making 21 saves.
Coach Stuart struggled to find any kind of positive take away from the game
“There was no positive takeaway from that game. It was up there in one of our worst games of the entire playoff season, I’d put it in the top three.”
The Dynamiters, one game in, are now have to win their next two games if they want to compete for Gold on Sunday.
“We need to come with more confidence. We need to skate. It was not the Dynamiters team that we are used to.”
“It doesn’t matter the reason, we can’t have that again.”
The Dynamiters next game is Friday at 8:30 pm MDT against the host team, the Richmond Sockeyes.
“The team hasn’t had two bad games in a row all year, we trust that it won’t happen tomorrow.”
