It was east beats west in Central Interior Hockey League (CIHL) action on the weekend as East division Lac la Hache Tomahawks handily downed visiting West division Prince Rupert Rampage 9-5 in its second game of the season.
Game 1 played Oct. 6 ended in an overtime loss to Williams Lake Stampeders.
First period action Oct. 13 was intense, with T-Hawk Don Nicholas opening the scoring before the end of the first minute. It was the first of four goals he would pot that night.
Rampage tied it up 1-1 midway through the period and then T-Hawks Grant Johnson and Robin Gilbert each scored to pull Lac la Hache ahead 3-1.
The visitors answered back with a power play goal and squeaked another in just before the period’s end to knot the score at 3-3.
Tomahawks coach Al Navrot says he could sense a repeat of last Saturday’s game with the Stampeders coming on after the Tomahawks took an early three-point lead but became complacent and let it slip away.
“We talked about it in the dressing room between periods … about how we need to be focused on our defensive play when we get a lead and realize that’s just important as scoring goals.”
Nicholas was first to the net again in the opening minute of the second period, getting around Rampage goal tender Colby Hagman. Jordan Sellars capitalized on a power play to add to the T-Hawks tally and Nicholas struck again mid-period to elevate the Hawks to a 6-3 lead.
The penalty-ridden frame ended in a score of 7-4 for the T-Hawks after another Rampage marker and another by Sellars. The Tomahawks spent a collective 14 minutes of that period in the penalty box.
Lac la Hache outscored Prince Rupert 2-1 in the final frame with a marker each by Drew Rose and Nicholas.
Navrot says he was pleased with Nicholas’ performance.
“Donny is pretty slick around the net and really comes alive when he gets the puck.”
The Tomahawks recently picked up D-man Phil Morrison from the now defunct Hazelton Wolverines and he played a solid game for his new team on the weekend.
Dedrick Alec from last year’s Tomahawk squad will be returning and Gino D’Appolonia, formerly of the Quesnel Kangaroos will also be joining them soon.
In the East division, Tomahawks sit at the top of the standings with three points, Williams Lake has two and Quesnel has one.
In CIHL overall standings, the T-Hawks are in third among nine teams, with just Central division Smithers Steelheads and West division Kitimat Ice Demons ahead of them by one.
The Tomahawks travel to Houston on Oct. 20 and take on Omenica in an away game on Oct. 21.
Their next home game is against the Houston Luckies at Rolf Zeis Memorial Arena, Oct. 27, starting at 7:30 p.m.
