The Quesnel Kangaroos triumphantly returned to the West Fraser Centre on Saturday evening (Oct. 13) and put on an offensive clinic against an overmatched Kitimat Ice Demons team.
The home squad beat the Demons by a score of 9-0 in front of a buzzing home crowd eager to cheer on the local players.
Alessio Tomassetti scored a pair of goals and added an assist for the Roos, who saw contributions from many down the line-up. Karl Weber, Colton Grolla, Ryan Reynolds, Michael Wright, Chad Kimmie, Tommy Grant and Justin Fulton also found net for the marsupials, who evened their record at 1-1.
The home team won puck battles at will, playing off the energy of the cheering fans and the musical pump-up provided by DJ/city councillor Scott Elliott.
While the boost certainly improved their offense, it also resulted in a lot of penalty minutes. The squad’s passion was in need of harnessing at a few occasions over the course of the game. They wracked up 41 minutes of total box time over the course of the hour. It may not have hurt them versus the Kitimat team, but it could pose problems against a more composed squad with a strong power play unit.
Goalie Richard Ward was not challenged often over the course of the evening, but was able to stay alert when it counted to preserve the shutout.
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A return to the ice on Sunday afternoon (Oct. 14) had a slightly different result for the Kangaroos, as they suffered a 7-4 loss to the Terrace River Kings.
While they started off the game aggressively with three straight goals from Fulton, they were unable to hang on as the match progressed.
The Kings broke open a 4-4 tie late in the second and never looked back, potting a trio of unanswered goals.
Connor Onstein and Colin Bell netted a pair each for the visitors. River Kings Fred Mowatt, Hunter Johnson and Brendan Onstein also contributed with goals.
Colton Grolla scored the other goal for the Roos, who now sit at 1-2. Once again, penalties were an issue for the home team, as they spent 22 minutes in the sin-bin while the Kings managed to limit themselves to six minutes over the course of the game.
If Coach Gilks can help the team find a balance between passion and aggression, the squad could go places this season.
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