The Similkameen News Leader
Sports Page - January 9, 2007
POSSE STINGS SUMMERLAND 4-2
The Valley First Princeton Posse started a game-filled week January 3rd hosting Summerland Sting.
It was their first home game since December 16th.
Although the boys looked a little tired in the first period, they played an incredible game against their divisional rivals.
Princeton scored the only goal in the first period at 15:12 with a goal from Eric Galbraith. Riley Ferster got the assist.
A somewhat physical match saw penalties in the first frame for hooking, roughing, interference, slashing, tripping and elbowing.
Summerland tied the match at 15:13 but Princeton turned up the pressure and scored their second goal at 11:36. Sean Carr got the marker with assists going to Matt Arnold and Riley Ferster.
The third period saw Princeton earn an insurance goal at 5:22 when Drew Knowles took a pass from Anthony Leardo and flicked it into the top stick side corner of the net. Sear Carr also received an assist.
Summerland battled a fired-up Posse team and brought the game to within one with another goal with 1:48 left.
The Sting finished the game with an empty net and an extra man, but it proved to be a costly move as Kyle L'Arrivee got his stick on the puck deep in the Posse zone and fired it across the rink and into the empty net with 19.7-seconds left.
Assists went to Mike Bunting and Jeremy Wagner.
After the game, in a webcast interview by Tom Shields, Posse Coach Dale 'Duner' Hladun praised his team.
When asked what was bringing the Posse around defensively, Hladun responded, " I think the reason why we're coming around defensively is the kids care for each other. They literally do. I've never had a team as close as this group. They're good guys. They care at practice."
Hladun continued, "You know, we have a lot of fun at practice, but if it gets out of hand I don't have to say anything, the kids step up and get serious. I've got a pretty unique team and there's going to be a unique story to talk about about the Posse this year. Where we started and where we're going."
Final score: Princeton 4, Summerland 2. Shots on goal: Summerland 49, Princeton 28.
POSSE SURPRISES SPOKANE BRAVES
What has probably hurt the Valley First Princeton Posse more than anything this season is their schedule. Dominated with one game weekends the Posse has had a tough time building on momentum.
Posse Coach Dale 'Duner' Hladun has been very vocal about the affect the schedule has had on his team, but when the 'four-games-in-five-days' first week in January rolled around nobody knew what to expect.
Princeton beat Summerland in the first match and nearly did the same to Spokane in the second game on January 5th.
The first period saw both teams feeling each other out with the obviously larger Princeton squad dominating Spokane for most of the frame, which ended scoreless.
In the second period play continued to be fast but with players out of position Princeton could not score.
Spokane managed to break the scoreless tie only 53-seconds into the frame and added two more at 9:57 and 10:48.
Princeton did not let up and in a lightning fast move, Kyle L'Arrivee took a pass from Mike Salter on the power play and went behind the Spokane net. He passed out front to Jeremy Wagner who scored Princeton's first goal at 12:05.
Princeton's Dan Hillman added one more at 15:00 with assists coming from Sean Carr and Liam Darragh.
The period ended with Spokane leading 3 to 2.
Part way through the third period Princeton was starting to look tired, but with a burst of energy tied the game up at 8:12 when Eric Galbraith, with a pass from Riley Fester, passed out front from behind the net to Dan Hillman, who popped it into the Spokane goal.
The tie seemed to light a fire inside the Posse who looked to be heading into an overtime game until Spokane scored with 12.8-seconds to go.
The stats sheet shows the Posse scored all their goals on the power play and collected only 10-minutes in penalties. There was no doubt the boys had the game and only the game on their minds.
Final score: Spokane 4, Princeton 3. Shots on goal: Princeton 32, Spokane 29.
POSSE MAULS CRESTON
It's obvious that the Valley First Princeton Posse plays better the tighter their game schedule.
On January 6th, the third of a four game week, saw an extremely strong Princeton team battle Creston Thunder Cats.
The teams looked evenly matched for size but it was Princeton who scored first at 7:18 when Mike Salter one-timed a pass from Matt Arnold just inside the blue line. Jordan Lane was also given an assist on the play.
The fast-paced period flew by quickly and with 1:09 left to play Princeton scored again when Eric Galbraith, with a pass from Liam Darragh, slipped behind the Creston goal and slipped the puck in the stick side.
The second period saw a lot of physical play with many hard hits coming from both teams.
Princeton widened their lead at 6:03. Peter Purves got the credit with help from Drew Knowles and Garrett Pfiefer.
The Posse continued to dominate the game by adding their fourth goal, scored by Eric Galbraith, at 15:58. Assists went to Liam Darragh and Dan Hillman.
Creston kept putting pressure on the Posse net and finally scored at 17:31. Princeton led the match 4 to 1 after two periods.
The third period saw an emotionally charged Creston team attack Princeton from every face off. The Posse did not let up, and in most cases, continued to dominate the game.
Eric Galbraith added an unassisted goal to the Posse tally at 3:17 following a rebound in front of the Creston goal.
Fists starting flying after whistles and face offs until Creston scored their second goal of the night at 3:36.
Princeton did not let up and Kyle L'Arrivee poked in a goal at 4:03 taking a pass in the slot. Michael Bunting was given an assist on the play.
Creston Coach Shane Lukinchuk was sent off with a game misconduct for exercising his vocal talents with the officials and Princeton scored once more at 6:24 when Brett Van Riper one-timed a pass from Dan Hillman. Eric Galbraith also received an assist.
By this time it appeared as if the wind was out of the sails of the Creston team as they continued to go through the motions as time continued to tick away.
Princeton hammered the final nail in the coffin with 7.2-seconds left when Anthony Leardo popped one in that hit the Creston goalie and just dribbled past the goal line.
Assists went to Dan Hillman and Matt Arnold.
Final score: Princeton 8, Creston 2. Shots on goal: Princeton 45, Creston 29.
POSSE WINS 'FOUR-POINTER'
The January 7th afternoon match between the Valley First Princeton Posse and Sicamous Eagles had all the markings of a pivotal game.
In addition to being the fourth game played by Princeton in five days, it was against division rivals Sicamous, who at the opening face off sat one point ahead of the Posse in the Okanagan Shuswap Division.
Both teams looked evenly matched for what many Princeton fans were calling a four point game.
Sicamous opened the scoring at 13:40 of the first period and Princeton's Drew Knowles replied at 14:46 with a missile of a shot fired to the stick side of the Eagle goaltender. It sailed past the net and off the boards and back at Knowles who backhanded his rebound for the score. Garrett Pfiefer got an assist.
The period ended locked at one apiece. The second period was mostly action of the scoring kind for both teams.
Sicamous scored their go ahead goal at 1:42 and added another at 4:57.
Princeton scored goal #2 at 7:37 (Matt Arnold from Brett Van Riper and Lyle L'Arrivee), goal #3 to tie the game at 9:37 (Garrett Pfiefer from Drew Knowles and Peter Purves), goal #4 to take the lead at 10:52 (Eric Galbraith from Liam Darragh and Dan Hillman) and goal #5 at 12:43 (Anthony Leardo from Peter Purves and Brett Van Riper).
Sicamous did not give up and scored their fourth goal of the game at 13:36.
The period ended with Princeton leading 5 to 4.
The final frame saw both teams take a number of chances but Sicamous could not tie the game to force overtime.
Final score: Princeton 5, Sicamous 4. Shots on goal: Sicamous 33, Princeton 25.
