Scott Koch
Contributor
Last weekend’s update starts with a home game at the Art Holding Memorial Arena, where the soaring Eagles from Sicamous landed to face the Heat on Friday the 27th. For potentially the first time in Chase history, the game could be described as “mellow.”
In the first, Chase popped a pair, the first from Kaden Black assisted by Brett Alexander and Cory Loring, the second from Alexander helped along by Black and Grady Musgrave.
It was seven minutes into the second period before the first minor infraction was called, the Heat received the only three minors in the period. On the second one Sicamous netted a power play goal to make the tame affair interesting.
In the third, Sicamous received the only three minors, and Chase pocketed another duo of goals. It was Josh Bourne on the man advantage from Ryan Okino and Kolten Moore, and then to seal the deal it was Evan Hughes from Bourne and Dune Wald.
The final result was a 4-1 win, backstopped by Mathew Ens who repelled 29 0f 30 he faced.
Saturday night the 28th in 100 Mile House was a different kettle of fish.
Lots of hits and many more missed opportunities eventually cost the Heat an important two points in the standings.
Chase got the only counter in the first from Cam Watson, aided and abetted by Moore and Bourne.
In the second, Zachary Fournier score with the extra man, assisted by Watson and Musgrave. Then the Wranglers struck goal in the Cariboo, before Colton Nikiforuk on the power play from Black and Fournier made it a 3-1 lead after 40 minutes.
Apparently happy with the production to this point, the Heat idled away a good bit of the next 20 minutes as the Wranglers popped in four unanswered goals to take a 5-3 victory in front of their pleased fans. New goalie Billy Cawthorn stopped 39 of 44 in an effort to give his teammates a chance at claiming the valuable two points.
The Heat remain in third place in the division, two points back of the Wranglers.
Next up, the division-leading Revelstoke Grizzlies journey west for a Friday night the third encounter, another important midseason matchup that the locals can’t afford to squander.