There was eight seconds left on the score clock when Justin Bond soared the puck some 150 feet down the ice into the middle of the empty net at the far end and some 479 fans rose and cheered the last nail being hammered into the coffin of the Columbia Valley Rockies at the South Cariboo Rec. Centre on Oct. 10.
The empty net goal was the final exclamation point in an exciting 5-2 win by the 100 Mile House Wranglers, the local club’s second at home in as many nights, having clipped the Sicamous Eagles 5-1 on Oct. 9.
Zane Steeves was a wall, the offence found ways and the defence barely budged.
The play was “greasy” at times though, especially against Sicamous, says 100 Mile House coach Dale Hladun, which was a concern. But for the most part the local club showed a good balance between the ruggedness it’s known for and the unnecessary stick-involved penalties it’s trying to get away from, easing off some on the number of bad penalties that were driving the coach nuts two weeks ago.
“I don’t mind penalties of battle,” Haldun makes clear. “If you’re part of the battle, and it’s a [roughing penalty], if it’s a charge, that kind of stuff, I get. It’s the penalties away from the play – a misconduct, a trip, a behind the play thing, [I don’t get].”
Hladun adds he’s really impressed with the boys’ will to win.
“We do have a reputation out there. Team’s know.”
The Wranglers host the Osoyoos Coyotes on Oct. 16 and travel to Sicamous on Oct. 17.
Hladun mentions a few roster moves ahead of the weekend, including the return of third-year Kootenay International Junior Hockey League veteran Michael Lynch.
The Smithers talent scored 14 goals and 21 assists in 49 regular season games in 2014-15 and added 13 points in the playoffs. Defenceman Mason Palaga was moved to Chase for future considerations and the Wranglers expect to sign goalie Adam Derochie, a six-foot Maple Ridge talent who played with the Vancouver North East Chiefs last season in the British Columbia Major Midget League.
Tavis Roch won star of the game against the Rockies. Brady Ward, Tate Page, Roch and Bond (2) scored goals. Assists went to Cole Zimmerman, Stephen Egan, Brett Harris (2), Ryan Friesen, Tyler Povelofskie and Nick McCabe.
Five hundred and seventeen fans were in attendance when the Wranglers beat the Eagles on Oct. 9. Liam Cumberbirch won star of the game for the Wranglers. Jaydon Gilding, Bond, Alex Meeker, Cumberbirch and Friesen scored. McCabe, Bond, Meeker (2), Kyle Lindstrom and Egan got assists. Steeves turned away 32 shots.
Veteran forward Brett Harris, a 100 Mile talent, is currently tied for eighth in the league in points per game (1.8). He’s working in Kamloops full time so his practice and conditioning time during the week is limited. But the 20-year-old is confident and comfortable in his fourth KIJHL season, being “the old guy in the league”, having played six of the team’s 10 games so far.
Harris is finding teammates with the puck and they’re burying the puck and giving him great looks too. A knee injury from last season isn’t hindering him.
The team’s chemistry is good early in the season, he says, and he likes the direction of the club.
“We have four lines we can roll every night. We have solid goaltending and a solid D-core. I can’t see too many weaknesses with this team.”
