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POSSE PICKS APART THE STING
Any idea how anyone could break a jaw during a pre-game warm up? It happened, and thatıs why Princetonıs Captain David Wyman was not in the line up for Friday nightıs game against Summerland.
Seth Armitage wore the "C' for the game and Princeton did a pretty good job of helping Summerland self-destruct.
Princeton started the attack with a power play goal at 3:09. Adam Coates got the score with assists going to Stu Purves and Chad Hohmann.
Three and a half minutes later Princeton's Chad Randle fired one between the legs of the Sting goalie off a pass from Hohmann. Conner McGarry also got an assist.
Princeton's third goal came at 10:10 when Brad Davis shot the puck into the top left corner of the net. Jeremy Wagner and Jamie Sparkes took assists.
The Posse scored their fourth goal at 12:19 with the same line taking credit (Davis, Wagner and Sparkes).
It was at this time Summerland pulled goalie Steve Legatto. He had faced 13 shots in 13 minutes and was just getting beaten by the Posse attack.
With a fresh goalie between the pipes, Summerland ended the period with a goal of their own with 1:15 left to play.
After one period, Princeton was leading 4 - 1.
The second period saw Princeton continue to pummel the Sting and score goal #5, short handed, when Summerland goalie Brandon Giesbrecht chose to come far enough out front of his net that Jamie Sparkes faked him out and scored with a low wrist shot into the bottom right corner. Jessie Tresierra was given an assist on the play.
Summerland did fight back scoring their second goal of the game at 11:10 but Princeton never gave up and widened their lead with 2:04 left in the period.
Credit went to Seth Armitage with assists to Chad Randle and Micah Anderson.
Princeton added goal #7 with only 1:39 left. Randle got the marker with Armitage assisting.
After two periods, Princeton was all over Summerland 7 - 2.
The third period saw Summerland add their third goal at 3:25 and by mid-period the frustration the visiting team was experiencing was starting to show.
A fight between Summerland's John Spence and Princeton's Jordan Lane at 11:35 in the face off circle to the right of the Sting net earned both players 5-minute penalties and Game Misconducts.
With 1:28 left in the game another fist fight saw Princeton's Jessie Tresierra take on Summerland's Brett Vanriper. Both earned 5-minutes for fighting and Game Misconducts with Tresierra also receiving 2-minutes for instigating.
Summerland did manage another goal, a shot high and over the glove hand of Princeton's Greg Sentes, but by then the game was already over.
Princeton outshot Summerland 30 to 28 and finished the match with a winning score of 7 to 4.
RACING DAYS ELECTS NEW BOARD
Princeton Racing Days Association hosted their Annual General Meeting last Thursday night at Town Hall.The group finished the year with a net profit of $20,210.04 after only one day of live horse racing at Sunflower Downs. 2005 marked the return of horse racing to Princeton following a four year absence.
Pari-mutuel Manager Carol Ruoss reported there were problems that slowed down operations at the betting windows.
She pointed to machines that went down or tickets getting stuck in the machines as two of the major problems in the delays experienced at the June 30th event.
There were a total of 15 betting windows, three of which were for self-serve betting.
Brian Kozak suggested that maybe the addition of more self-serve windows could speed things up.
"I think many people from the Vancouver area are fairly educated on how to use those machines."
The combination of inexperienced window people and bettors not knowing how to place a bet could have affected the overall handle, which totalled over $33,000, but the group did not have a clear answer on what the problem may have been. The suggestion of making more self-serve machines available appeared to be the most logical solution.
"The handle will set the barometer of which Interior track is successful," Kozak reasoned.
"You can turn your patrons away if you drag your races too long."
Time between races is often affected by the speed in which bets are being placed at the betting windows.
Brian Anderson suggested a 'how to bet' guide be pre-published in the papers leading up to Racing Days to aid in educating locals on how to become part of the event.
"Speeding up the betting process is the most important thing,² he said.
First time bettors, although encouraged, probably contributed to some of the delays.
Kozak also suggested the implementation of 'large bet' betting windows could speed the process.
Jody Woodford conducted the Election of Officers which saw John Bey returned as President with Ed Vermette Vice President, Sandy Kinsey Treasurer and Carol Ruoss Secretary.
Directors for the 2005/06 season are Brian Anderson, Barrie Fraser, Abe Willis, Sandy Gabor, John Draper and Vancouver jockey/legend Tom Wolski.
The next meeting of Princeton Racing Days Association is set for January 12th, 7:00 PM in Princeton Town Hall.
