The Similkameen News Leader
Sports Page - February 5, 2008
POSSE SUPPORTS HOME TEAM
Princeton's Novice hockey team traveled to Castlegar January 26th to participate in a 24-team tournament. While there, the Valley First Princeton Posse were scheduled for a game against Castlegar Rebels.
It became a weekend that is still being talked about in both communities.
Posse players Taylor Stuart and Cody Sutherland volunteered to referee during the Minor Hockey Tournament. The Novice players returned the favour by joining the Posse in their dressing room before the Castlegar game and participated in the pre-game talk.
Between periods Princeton's Novice players cheered on the Posse by joining the players on their bench just as the Posse had done when the Novice team played.
Posse Coach Dale 'Duner' Hladun admitted that some of the activities were premeditated but said the Posse supported the Novice players for a very simple, but important reason.
"They're part of our town, we had to show support of our town because the town supports us."
Although the Posse lost to Castlegar 4-2, Hladun says spending time with the Novice players and being a part of their game in an out-of-town tournament, "was the highlight of the weekend for the team."
POSSE FALLS TO SUMMERLAND
The Valley First Princeton Posse hosted only their second home game of the New Year January 30th against Summerland Sting.
The Sting opened the scoring early at 2:57 of the first period with a power play goal.
It took the Posse until 3:38 of the second period to tie the game. David Smith scored the goal with assists going to Cody Sutherland and Brooks Christensen.
Summerland took the lead again at 7:10 but Princeton rallied back to tie the game at two when Jeremy Wagner fired a rocket into the Summerland goal at 13:42. The goal, assisted by Wade Masch and Brett Van Riper, tied Wagner with former Posse player David Wyman for most career points as a Posse player with 80.
The third period was all Summerland. The Sting scored five goals throughout the period. Princeton managed one more of their own at 14:18 when Brooks Christensen scored off a pass from David Smith and Brett Van Riper but the power play goal came too late in the game.
The Posse never gave up playing as if it was still early in the game, but they just couldn't regain control.
Shots on goal: Princeton 37, Summerland 20. Final score: Summerland 7, Princeton 3.
TEAM FOLLOWS AWARDS NIGHT WITH VICTORY
A half dozen Valley First Princeton Posse players took home all the hardware following the annual Awards Night February 2nd.
Brett Van Riper was presented with Most Valuable Player and Fan Favorite honours, Brad Goss received Rookie of the Year and Top Offensive Player awards with Jeremy Wagner collecting Hardest Worker and Unsung Hero awards.
Andrew Walsh received Top Defensive Player with Dan Hillman being named Most Sportsmanlike and Brenden Stephan took the Most Improved Player award.
The following afternoon, February 3rd, Princeton played host to Golden Rockets for a rare afternoon contest.
The first period was a fast, hard-hitting, physical 20-minutes and Princeton's Dan Hillman opened the scoring at 7:28 with a missile one-timed from inside the blue line. Jeremy Wagner and Wade Masch received assists on the power play goal. Wagner's assist earning him the honour of top Posse career points earner.
Golden tied the game at 11:47 but Princeton replied at 12:55 when Dylan Becker took a pass from Wade Masch from deep in Posse territory and sailed along the boards in front of the team benches and flicked the puck into the net in what seemed one continuous fluid motion. Riley Ferster also received an assist on the short-handed goal.
The second period was all Princeton, scoring four unanswered goals throughout the period. They scored at 4:24 (Dan Hillman from Wade Masch and Jeremy Wagner on the power play), again at 7:12 (Randall Groot from Logan Johnston), once more at 9:34 (Brooks Christensen from Spencer Brooks) and with 4:07 left in the period (Tyler Martin from Logan Johnston and Brenden Stephen) to widen their lead to 6 to 1.
The third period saw a beaten Rockets team attempt to beat up the Posse by systematically picking off player after player in fights that only pushed the scoring higher.
Princeton scored goal #7 at 7:02 when Wade Masch popped in a backhander in front of the goal off a pass from Jeremy Wagner.
The Posse's eighth goal was a piece of art when Jeremy Wagner, on obviously one of his best games ever in a Posse jersey, took a pass from Brett Van Riper near the blue line, stick-handled all the way in and popped the puck high and into the net. Randall Groot was also given an assist on the play.
After another series of scraps, the referee wisely warned both benches to stop fighting or pay with suspensions. His warning was at 10:01 and the game settled down a notch.
The Rockets tried hard to control the play, but Princeton was all over them and scored goal #9 at 15:32 on the power play (Spencer Brooks from Josh Prather).
By this time the Rockets were done. Shots on goal: Princeton 35, Golden 23. Final score: Princeton 9, Golden 1.
