The Similkameen News Leader
Sports Page - October 02, 2007
PRINCETON CLIMBS ALL OVER ROCKIES
What happened to the Valley First Princeton Posse?
In the first period of their September 28th game against Columbia Valley Rockies it appeared as if the Posse were missing something.
Call it focus, if you like, but for some reason the team wasn't gelling very well in the first period.
The Rockies must have sensed it and capitalized on a slightly confused Posse and scored their first (unassisted) goal at 7:15.
This seemed to shake the home team up slightly and at 16:35 Brooks Christensen passed the puck to Garrett Pfiefer, who went into the corner and fed it out front where Dave Smith one-timed the puck past the netminder from in front of the crease to tie the match at one all.
The second period was all Princeton. The Posse came out in full force and started to pound at the Rockies. It was as if the checks were getting bigger and harder as each moment passed.
At 3:48 Garrett Pfiefer passed the puck to Wade Masch who turned on the jets and sailed up the ice untouched, deked the Rockies goalie to the stick side and popped it in for a short handed goal.
Princeton stretched their lead at 5:51 when Garrett Pfiefer fired one on target and team mate Kellin Brown got a piece of the rebound and took the points.
However, the Rockies were not done yet adding their second (unassisted) goal at 9:49 but Princeton continued to dominate the Arena and just tore apart anything Columbia Valley tried to produce on ice.
The physical part of the game spilled onto the stats sheet with penalty after penalty filled the pages.
At one point in the second period there were a total of eleven players sitting in the penalty box (Columbia Valley 6, Princeton 5).
Then the Posse turned it up another notch scoring goal #4 at 11:22 (Brad Goss, unassisted) and goal #5 at 15:55 (Dave Smith, assisted by Kellin Brown).
The period ended with Princeton leading 5 to 3.
The start of the third period was delayed as a problem with the ice in the Columbia Valley net became an issue, but the period did start.
At 18:10 the period ended once more with the Rockies leaving the ice, and returning as quickly as they left. A five minute break was called and officials examined the piece of ice located at the centre of the goal line - inside the goal crease - at the Rockies net. Arena officials were called out to examine the same location.
Arena Manager Lyle Thomas told the News Leader that there was concern over a 'cut' in the ice. Upon further inspection, it appeared like any other cut in the ice, but because of it's location it was important enough to the visiting team to stop the game.
Once the period resumed, the Posse thanked Columbia Valley for the disruption by scoring another (unassisted) goal at 2:31. Dan Hillman was the sniper.
The Rockies replied with their third (unassisted) goal at 6:59.
Princeton continued to pummel the Rockies scoring their seventh goal of the game at 8:11 when Garrett Pfiefer passed out to Wade Masch who cycled the puck out to Spencer Brooks who's wrist shot from in front of the net found a spot to go in the stick side of the net.
Princeton's Dylan Becker scored at 9:01 with an assist going to Brett Van Riper and Logan Johnston added an unassisted goal of his own at 15:24 when he fired the puck low and it dribbled out the goalies pads and over the patch of ice that caused so much concern earlier in the period.
Although the stats show Columbia Valley out shot Princeton 20 to 18, it was obvious which team was the stronger of the two.
Final score: Princeton 9, Columbia Valley 3.
