As we get closer to the end date in the wacky year of 2021, your HEAT have caught fire! After losing 4 straight from November 19th – December 4th, the roster did a flip flop and stepped on the ice a different team. They learned that pace, pressure and passion plus unrelenting hardwork can beat any foe any day of the week. No matter defensive end, offensive end or mid ice they buzz like mad hornets, and it works! They have a 5 and 1 record in the win column since then, not so shabby says this pencil lead snapper. Everyone on the roster deserves some credit but a fellow can’t stop thinking that 3 new pieces have more then helped. Dylan Handel from Beaumont Alberta, Mikkel Hrechka from Moose Jaw Saskatchewan and the new kid on the block Tanner Chapman from Airdrie Alberta, have brought a great desire to win and it’s been contagious.
So, the weekly recap involves 3 games crammed into 5 days. Tuesday the 14th the crew tootled on down to Princeton to faceoff versus the Posse. No scoring in the 1st, a Posse popper in the 2nd and Handel’s 9th of the season in the 3rd from Jacob Biensch. Tied in regulation it was off to overtime where Hrechka with his 1st with the HEAT scored the game winner. Jack Osmond stopped 33 of 34 to backstop the victory.
Friday the 17th the tootle transport dropped them off in Rutland to tangle with the Kelowna Chiefs. A game they could have won got away from them on this night. Kelowna notched a tally but Matthew Poole fired right back helped by Mr. Point
Getter himself Biensch. In the 2nd the Chiefs got 2 across the goal line prior to Diego Flota notching his 1st of the season aided by the Poole brothers James and Matthew. The 3rd period saw Hrechka on the powerplay from Lucas Ouellette and Biensch tie the contest up. On their 50% successful powerplay the Chief’s stuck the dagger in the hearts of the Heat to claim a one goal game 4-3. If the passes had been crisper and the receiving a bit more aggressive things would have been different. Poor Lucas Oullette was snake bitten as multiple top notch efforts didn’t find the twine. Rod May repelled 28 of 32 as the last man back.
Finally, the Heat came home for a Saturday night confrontation on the 18th with the Kamloops Storm. Superb goal tending at both ends was just one part of an edge of your seat night of entertainment. The Loopers cashed in during the 1st 20 minutes. In the 2nd they threw everything at Jack Osmond they could including 12 shots and were denied. In the 3rd the new guy with something to offer was Tanner Chapman from Aiden Brown and Owen Dean, all tied up in regulation time. No scoring in overtime and it was off to the shootout. Sharp shooters Ouellette and Handel did a dandy job of delivering a duo of beauties for the win and Osmond got mugged by his teammates in thanks…ouch.
Till next time have a great festive season and we will see success hungry fans coming out of the woodwork on Thursday the 30th to catch the 100 Mile House Wranglers attempting to keep up with your Heat. Game time is 7:00 pm and the kids would love to see their local heroes play…so get them down to the Chaos Castle, the Art Holding Memorial Arena. Till next time…BOOM!
Scott
