The Similkameen News Leader
Sports Page - November 04, 2008
POSSE BEAT GRIZZLIES, AGAIN
Valley First Princeton Posse hosted Revelstoke Grizzlies October 31st in the return match in a home and home series. The teams had met the week before in Revelstoke where Princeton won the game with a score of 4 to 3. Well, history has a way of repeating itself.
The home team ended up wearing practice jerseys as the visitors came to town with only their
'away' colours. Due to an order mix up dating from before the start of the season, the only jerseys the Posse have to play in are their
'away' ones and every team visiting Princeton so far this season has managed to bring their home 'whites' to the Similkameen.
The bright yellow practice jerseys actually fit in with the fact that the game was on Halloween and some fans were also in costume.
When the puck dropped in the opening face off it was clear there was nothing being practiced by either team.
Princeton scored 27-seconds into the game when Brooks Christensen fired a shot from a pass fed to him by Kyle L'Arrivee.
It took Revelstoke 5-minutes into the second period before they could tie the game, and they did it short-handed.
Then with 2:44 to play in the frame Princeton took the lead. Posse netminder Michael Garteig fired a pass from the net that was picked up by Leeland Malkinson who fed it to Jason Alessio who bagged the marker.
Revelstoke tied the game again with 1:43 left in the second on the power play.
Both teams played a fast-paced, hard-hitting physical game where dominance was virtually as impossible to achieve as scoring a lot of goals.
Princeton took the lead 22-seconds into the third period (Derrick DeLisser from Kieran Friesen), and then widened the gap at 13:40 while short-handed (Jason Alessio from Nate Rempel and Riley Ferster).
Revelstoke kept battling and scored another power play goal at 10:57 and spent the rest of the game trying to control the game, but did not succeed. Final score: Princeton 4, Revelstoke 3. Shots on goal: Princeton 14, Revelstoke 24.
THUNDER CATS MAUL POSSE
Valley First Princeton Posse hosted Creston Valley Thunder Cats November 1st in the second of a trio of home games.
The game marked the return of Dylen McKinlay who has been playing frequently for the Chilliwack Bruins of the WHL.
Posse Assistant Coach Kevin Robillard stated during the Posse webcast that McKinlay could very well be called to continue playing with the Bruins.
"It would be great to have him finish his season in a Posse jersey, but it would also be great to see him play out the season at that next level."
McKinlay's play with Chilliwack has already earned him more than one three star selection.
"He's one of their top three or four forwards in the games he's played," Robillard said.
"We're going to miss Dylen's presence on ice and in the dressing room."
While McKinlay contributed to the game against Creston, it was the Thunder Cats who set the pace quickly scoring their first goal 1:28 into the game and adding a second marker at 10:21.
Kyle L'Arrivee scored Princeton's first goal of the game unassisted, and short-handed, 25-seconds later when he snatched the puck near centre ice and sailed all the way to the Creston net passing, swerving, bobbing and weaving through white jerseys until he was face to face with the Thunder Cat goalie.
That gave the home team some momentum and they tied the game with their second goal with just 28-seconds left in the period. Credit went to Spencer Brooks with assists on the power play to Derrick DeLisser and Jared Hidber.
Princeton tried to keep up and managed to maintain the same level of intensity and speed despite having a much shorter bench than the visiting team.
The second period saw Creston take the lead at 19:13 and widen the gap at 17:31.
Creston added another goal 1:06 into the third period.
The home team battled back and scored their third goal of the night at 10:32 with Brooks Christensen getting the credit. Assistance came from Jared Hidber.
Creston added goal number six at 9:45 and goal number seven with 1:57 to play.
Both teams played a fast-paced, end to end game where neither managed to dominate the play for very long. Creston did a great job of killing penalties and Princeton Assistant Coach Kevin Robillard stated during the Posse webcast that his team was taking too many "selfish penalties" that eventually cost them the game.
Final score Creston 7, Princeton 3. Shots on goal: Creston 25, Princeton 17.
SICAMOUS BLANK PRINCETON
Valley First Princeton Posse finished their three-game home stretch with an afternoon match against Sicamous Eagles November 2nd.
Both teams came on strong and shifted into overdrive early in the game.
The action was so fast paced that it made Posse internet play-by-play announcer George Elliott comment during a stoppage in play, "I don't think I've ever talked that fast in my entire life."
Then the wheels came off the train.
Sicamous scored their first goal at 6:34 and Posse Assistant Coach Kevin Robillard explained during the game webcast, "We're losing battles in our own zone."
Sicamous continued to dominate the often confused and frequently misfiring home team scoring another three goals in the second period.
"Everyone was on the wrong side of the puck," Robillard explained and was obviously disappointed in the play of his team.
After two periods Sicamous were leading 4 to zip.
The third period saw a tired and frustrated Princeton Posse team play out that last twenty-minutes of play with nothing spectacular to report or describe.
"It's as if they are just going through the motions at this point," Elliott commented during the play-by-play to which Robillard responded by stating it was a pretty accurate observation.
The frustration on ice quickly translated to time in the penalty box and players sent to the dressing room.
Robillard kept pointing to "selfish mistakes" as the cause for the derailment and explained that there would likely be some changes made in the following days to hammer the message home to players that team efforts win games.
The next Posse home game is Saturday, November 8th against Nelson.
Final score: Sicamous 4, Princeton 0.
