The Similkameen News Leader
Sports Page - February 13, 2007
STORM BLOWS OVER PRINCETON
What is wrong with the Princeton Posse? The fifth year the franchise has been in the Similkameen Valley has seen the team produce it's best record and Coach Dale 'Duner' Hladun has put together an amazing collection of young men.
The players have a good reputation off the ice as being shining examples of what the KIJHL promotes itself as "Working together to promote hockey excellence, education and life skills."
So why is it Princeton can't win some of the big divisional games? We're not sure, as anyone who has attended more than just a handful of games at Princeton Arena will tell you, the team is gelling. Their power play has improved, as has their penalty killing. Both goalies play outstanding and by all indications, most of the team will likely not return for Posse Season 6.0 not because they can't play, but because they'll be moving on to Junior A teams elsewhere.
With all the good things happening to the Princeton Posse, why can't they score? The mid-week game on Wednesday, February 7th may offer some answers. Princeton played a strong, physical game from the first face off. They pressured the Storm goal every chance they had but couldn't get the little frozen piece of rubber in the thing with netting around it.
Kamloops opened the scoring at 16:51 of the first period and continued to score into the second period at 13:43, 9:43 and 2:49.
A few times the officials seemed a little dazed and confused about who should serve penalties called until Princeton's Jordan Lane got into a scrap that clearly involved jersey #22 in case the ref missed it.
The third period opened with Kamloops leading 4 to zip. Princeton kept pushing the Storm around and batting pucks at their goal until Eric Galbraith managed to slap one in off the rebound at 16:47. Assists went to Alex Young and Brett Van Riper.
It was all they were going to get for their efforts.
Although the shots on goal show Kamloops had 29 to Princeton's 26, the Posse needs a sniper. Other than that, the team is solid.
Final score: Kamloops 4, Princeton 1.
