The Similkameen News Leader
Sports Page - March 10, 2009
POSSE KEEP EAGLES GROUNDED
When the Valley First Princeton Posse hosted Sicamous Eagles March 2nd it was a match between the top two teams in the round-robin series.
Princeton had recorded a 3-1-1 win-loss-tie record after five games and Sicamous had a 3-2-0 record. On paper the teams were evenly matched which made for an exciting game.
A huge crowd filled Princeton Arena, affectionately called The Vault in honour of the Posse's major sponsor, Valley First Credit Union, and they were thoroughly entertained with a great hockey game.
Sicamous got on the scoreboard first at 17:31 of the first period and although the home team out shot the Eagles 13-11 in the opening frame, they could not get the puck past Sicamous goalie Chad Ketting.
Sicamous got on the scoreboard again at 16:26 of the second period and although the home team out shot the Eagles 15-6 in the middle frame, they could not penetrate the invisible force field controlled by Sicamous goalie Chad Ketting.
The Posse played a heck of a game completing passes, setting up plays, applying pressure on the Eagle goal, killing penalties and firing shots that hit their target with the accuracy of trained snipers.
It wasn't until the third period when Princeton lit up the scoreboard with a goal. Only 24-seconds into the period Matt Chomyc rifled a shot past the Sicamous goalie. The power play goal was the result of persistence and solid play making. Assists went to Jason Alessio and Kyle L'Arrivee.
The home team tied the game at 2-all at 7:24 when Dan Hillman found a hole in the invisible force field in front of the Sicamous goal. Assists went to Brooks Christensen and Wade Masch.
Both teams virtually thawed out every puck that was used in the final 12:36 in the game smacking, passing, shooting and flipping them every which way possible. The stats sheet verifies this with Sicamous recording 20 shots on goal in the third period alone - more than they had managed in the first two-thirds of the game. Princeton added another 18 shots to their game total and possibly set a season record earning only four penalties in the game.
And then the final buzzer sounded.
Final score: Princeton 2, Sicamous 2 (tie). Shots on goal: Princeton 46, Sicamous 37. Penalties: Sicamous 7 for 14-minutes, Princeton 4 for 8-minutes.
The Princeton Dairy Queen/Overwaitea Foods players of the game were: #3 - Mike Collins (Sicamous), #2 - Wade Masch and #1 - Dan Hillman.
POSSE FINISH SERIES WITH A WIN
The Valley First Princeton Posse hosted Revelstoke Grizzlies March 4th in the final game of an eight games in nine nights round-robin series that was jokingly referred to by internet webcaster George Elliott as "the pre-series series" and the "ironman series" where only the strongest would survive.
The Posse proved to many that they were certainly up for the challenge and basically pummeled Revelstoke throughout the entire game.
Players did find the ice surface at Princeton Arena challenging at times slipping and sliding in pools of water that gathered in various locations around the facility but managed to play a good game of hockey.
Princeton opened the scoring at 4:14 of the first period when John Minot took the puck behind the Revelstoke goal. He was going to come out the other side but turned on a dime and weaved his way past opponents gathered behind the net. He went back and forth again then finally fed the puck out to Nolan O'Brien who was in front of the net on the glove side. O'Brien batted at the puck and Revelstoke netminder Andrew Parent kicked it away. Derrick DeLisser was on the stick side of the net and popped the rebound in for the goal.
Princeton hammered the Revelstoke goal throughout the period but could not add to their score due to the incredible play of their goalie.
The second period saw Princeton add their second goal of the night at 12:00. Wade Masch got the score with Brooks Christensen adding an assist.
Half way through the period Princeton switched goalies, resting Michael Garteig and giving Tanner Sheridan some time between the pipes.
Princeton added their third goal of the game with just 58.4-seconds left to play. Quinn Rempel scored the power play goal, his first KIJHL point, with an assist by Brenden Stephen.
Princeton had a total of four APs dressed and on the ice including local boy Nick Yee, David Harrison, T. J. Christensen (Posse player Brooks Christensen's younger brother) and Quinn Rempel (Posse player Nate Rempel's younger brother). All four of them made huge contributions to the game.
Final score: Princeton 3, Revelstoke 0. Shots on goal: Princeton 42, Revelstoke 27. Penalties: Princeton 5 for 10-minutes, Revelstoke 4 for 8-minutes.
The Valley First Princeton Posse finish the round-robin series with a 4-2-2 record and advance to the second round playoffs, a best-of-seven series against Kamloops Storm.
The Princeton Dairy Queen/Overwaitea Foods players of the game were: #3 - Andrew Parent (Revelstoke), #2 - Quinn Rempel and #1 - David Harrison.
