The SS Heat is purring along these past two weekends as steady play and top-notch goal tending ensures success.
Following two road wins a week ago, the Chase squad were able to garner four points from Division rivals.
It started with the Land Cruiser sailing down the Shuswap shoreline to the lakeside community of Sicamous on Friday the 21. In the first period, neither the Eagles nor Heat tallied a goal. But early in the second, Zachary Fournier got his first of two on the power play from Pat Brady and Spencer Farstad. Five minutes later, Fournier, of Canoe, pocketed his second from Farstad and Kaden Black.
Mere minutes into the third, Spencer Meyer relocated the puck behind the rival’s goaltender assisted by Cody Hodges and Travis Beaubien.
The result was a 3-0 shutout, the first of the year for Zak “Larceny” Larson who stopped 32 zingers.
Back home on the 22nd, the lads readied themselves for a battle versus the Grizzlies from the mountain resort community of Revelstoke. At the Art Holding Memorial Arena, four short of 300 fans waited anxiously for the opening puck drop.
A stellar performance played out before the hockey faithful as the local crew sailed to an 8-2 victory.
Two goals in the first for the Heat, Black from Fournier and Landon Russell and then Moore got the monkey off his back after not finding the net in weeks, assisted by Beaubien and Michael Fidanza on the power play.
Period two saw the Mad Bears get one from Raphael Bassot before a torrent of four power-play counters from the twigs of the Heat. Hodges with his first of the year from Fidanza and Beaubien, then Moore from Hodges and Josh Bourne. Forty seconds later, Beaubien popped in a backbreaker from Hodges and Fidanza, and then Hodges got his second from Farstad and Pat Brady.
The Heat went into the third up 6-1. Bourne added to the total even with strength from Ryan Okino and Fidanza.
Revelstoke got their second from Jordan Rea before Farstad on the power play from Black and Brady put an end to scoring.
Nic Bruyere in net stopped 25 of 27 shots in the 8-2 win. The Heat were six-for-14 on the power play.
Additions and Statistics: The Heat recently added local hockey product Cody Hodges to the arsenal in a trade with the Victoria Cougars of the VIJHL. Then Simon Faber, an 18-year-old rear guard from Edmonton, was obtained to fortify the back end. Both lads have paid early dividends on the ice.
The Heat are currently first in their division, first in their Conference and third overall in the KIJHL. They are third goal scoring, second in power-play goals and six players are in the top 50 in the league.
Next up is a Saturday night classic at the Memorial Arena in Kamloops versus the Storm. Game time is 7:35 p.m. on the 29th. Next home game is Nov. 5 versus the Growling Grizzlies from CPR City.