Kamloops Storm Ends 2 Game Winning Streak

Lose Ground to Opponents After Loss to the Sicamous Eagles

Things were looking brighter after Friday nights' win over the Chase Chiefs but the Sicamous Eagles made sure that a little piece of Grinch was left on the minds of the Storm players after they handed Kamloops a Merry Xmas loss on home ice last night.

The Storm started off well, capitalizing on their first power play in the 1st period. It was Rylee Orr who capitalized with a sharp angled shot while Eagles goaltender was down and scrambling. Assists went to Duncan Schultz and Gary Rai.

The Eagles, sporting a balanced line-up were not fazed by the early Kamloops goal as they slowly but surely took control of puck possession. On their 2nd power play attempt, late in the the period, it was Cain Franson who scored to tie the game. Shortly after, Kamloops clutch goaltender, Anthony Manfredi, got crossed up behind his own net and ended up giving up the puck to a dangerous Derek Huisman who got it back to the point where Julius Krolik fired a rocket. Manfredi, scrambling to get back into position, made the first save but the Eagles Daryl Devries was their to bury the rebound and take a 2-1 lead going into the 2nd period. Sicamous outshot Kamloops 21-7 in the first period.

The Storm, although a little deflated after the sloppy goal in the 1st period, came out buzzing to start the 2nd and took advantage of an early power play opportunity. It was Gary Rai setting up Taylor Stuart from the behind the net with Stuart finishing it off with a quick shot to beat Eagles goaltender, Tyler Steel. With the game tied at 2, the two teams played back and forth hockey, the kind that was indicative of the score. But it was late in the period when it looked like Kamloops had "hit the wall" so to speak, floundering around in their own end. With numerous chances to get the puck out of the zone the Storm players on the ice looked exhausted and couldn't clear the biscuit. Finally with a costly turnover in front of the net and some slick maneuvering by Daryl Devries and the slick Derek Huisman , Jordan Hynes scored with 10.5 seconds left on the clock to take a 3-2 lead into the 2nd intermission. This appeared to be the "TSN turning point" of the game.

The 3rd period produced only one goal, that from the stick of captain Aaron Buat on a 3-way precision passing play with linemates Scott Fellnermeyer and Jared Tenvaanholt. The Storm pressured occasionally but goaltender Tyler Steel held the fort and the Eagles got their Xmas cheer with a 4-2 road win at the Mac Island Sport Centre.

On the injury front... Duncan Schultz left after the first period with a lower body injury. He did not return the game.

The loss leaves the Storm 2 points behind Chase and Princeton (teams the defeated in the past week) and all alone in 5th spot in the division. Chase shut out Penticton 4-0 while Princeton man-handles the Grand Forks Border Bruins, 5-1.

The Christmas Break is now upon us and the Storm will be on the road to start the new year taking on Princeton, Revelstoke and Chase before returning home to face the Sicamous Eagles again on January 9th.

Have a Happy Holiday Season where ever you are and we will see you in the New Year.

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Peter and Leanne wish all the fans of the Kamloops Storm

a Happy and Healthy Holiday Season!

Rai Scores Two

As Manfredi Holds the Fort!

Gary Rai extended his point scoring streak to 6 games as he popped 2 goals, including the winner in the second period, to lead the team to their 2nd victory this week as the Kamloops Storm beat arch-rival Chase Chiefs 4-1 in Friday night action. But it was goaltender Anthony Manfredi who stood on his ear and made save after miraculous save in the Kamloops net to help his team the victory and a first star selection.

It was a very good game with the ebb and flow going back and forth. The Chiefs sent a barrage of shots (46) at Manfredi but had a heck of a time trying to figure him out. It may have been the best home performance by Manfredi this year. At the other end, Chiefs goaltender Riley Wall had a pretty good game and made some great saves himself but it seemed like 'one of those nights' that had the pucks just squeeking by him. Wall made 25 saves on 29 shots.

Taylor Stuart was the dominant playmaker as he set up Rai for both his goals. Stuart made brilliant passes to set up Rai for the easy goals. This combo could be a real force down the road and into the playoffs as Rai is now starting to perform as the player he was expected to be. Stuart just keeps getting better all the time as his skating has improved tremendously and his hands have softened enough to be a huge contributor on the score sheet (competition beware... his hands haven't softened enough to not pummel even the toughest of physical challengers).

Ty Jackson opened the scoring late in the first period, a result of some good work by line-mates Bevin Ollek and Jason Allesio. Rai scored 2 goals in the 2nd period along with another marker by Riley Orr to complete the Kamloops scoring. Jordan Wood scored on the power-play in the 3rd period to put Chase on the board and spoil an otherwise perfect performance by Manfredi.

I liked that coach Greg Hawgood mixed the lines, especially separating Ollek and Rai. Both these guys like to do their work close in to the goaltender and they didn't seem to mesh in previous games as suspected. It also took away from the play of Jason Allesio who didn't seem to see the puck enough to work his magic. I personally liked the line of Allesio, Jackson and Ollek... I hope that we see it again.

Kolten Moen was back after a short absence (not sure what it was) and played a good game. The only regular starter out right now is Brett Defrias with an upper body injury and is not expected back until the new year.

The Sicamous Eagles are in town tonight for another important divisional match-up as the Storm attemptes to climb back up in the standings. After last nights' win, the Storm are tied with Chase and the Princeton Posse for 3rd in the division. All these teams are playing tonight and it appears that Kamloops has the toughest game. Chase hosts the 6th place Penticton Lakers while Princeton hosts the Grand Forks Border Bruins who have the worst record in the entire KIJHL with only 3 wins and 7 points so far for the season.


the boxscore

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McCance, Jackson and Ollek chosen to AllStar Line Up

Congratulations to the Mike McCance, Tyler Jackson and Bevin Ollek as they have been selected to represent the Kamloops Storm and the Okanangan-Shuswap Conference in the upcoming 2010 KIJHL All-Star Game.

Here is the entire line-up for the Okanagan-Shuswap Division Team for the All-Star Game to be held in Beaver Valley, BC, January 11th and 12th, 2010.

Forwards:

1 Derek Huisman-Sicamous
2 Lucas Blinkhorn-Rev
3 Faiz Khan-Rev
4 Travis Herlein-Golden
5 Stefan Jensen-Golden
6 Dan Hillman-Prin
7 Brandan Persley-Pen
8 Trevor Fitzgerald-North Ok
9 Tyler Jackson-Kam
10 Bevin Ollek-Kam
11 Devon Hobbs-Chase
12 Jordan Wood-Chase

Defense:

1 Garrett Earley-Sic
2 Caleb Roy-Rev
3 Casey Rogers-Gold
4 Brenden Stephen-Princ
5 Mike McCance-Kam
6 Kyle Ceretzke-Rev

Goaltenders:

Andrew Parent-Rev
Spencer Wong-Golden
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To place your order for All-Star Game banquet and/or All-Star Game tickets please contact the Beaver Valley Nitehawks at:

Beaver Valley Nitehawks Junior Hockey Club

By phone: (250) 367-7183
or
By email: bvnitehawks@bvnitehawks.com

Posse Shoot Down the Storm

After disposing the woeful Penticton Lakers on Friday night the Storm returned home seeing a light at the end of the tunnel. After their 5-3 loss to the Posse, they found out that the light was really a train.

It really was much a one sided game. Storm goaltender Anthony Manfredi, carrying the team on his back, so to speak, made 45 saves of a 50 shot barrage handed out by the Posse. Defensive turnovers and inability to get the puck to the net in the offensive end continue to haunt a team that is desperately searching for answers.

Newcomer, Jordan Wilkens, made an impact both evenings, scoring a PP goal Friday night and then another on Saturday night against the Posse. Unfortunately, he was also a goat a couple of times, including coughing up the puck near his own blue line allowing Ben Morgan to open the scoring. Wilkens is a big kid with some good junior experience (WHL, BCHL) and hopefully he can bring his defensive leadership to the rink sooner than later as this is where the Storm is hurting most.

It's not all the D in the defensive end. There seems to be a lack of support from the forwards who seem to have a challenge transitioning the puck out of the zone. Only handful of guys want to do the spade work and help out the D. We see too many stretch passes that go astray instead of the easy short pass combo to get the offense moving. Guys are not on the half-boards where they are expected to be in order to start an effective breakout. I can't tell you how many times that the pass to the guy who is supposed to be on the boards has the puck go behind them, off the boards and on to the stick of an awaiting point man just because they can't get it through their helmets that they need to close that gap. When your butt is against the boards, the puck can't go behind you... and if you miss it, at least your nose is facing forward and the puck can be pursued. It's almost comical how often some of our forwards are spinning like tops trying to track down the puck. It looks like a figure skating session with canes.

Last but not least is the lack of discipline. Stupid penalties at crucial times are killing any momentum the team may be gathering. I don't like to single individuals out but in this case I am. Bevin Ollek, a talented and large forward just can't seem to help himself from taking stupid penalties game after game. Bevin has been the target of a few referees, being penalized inappropriately at times but when you know that this situation exists, recognize it and adjust accordingly. If he took his body and plunked it in front of the net more often, he would end up drawing more penalties than taking them. From the start of the season Bevin has played a big role in the offense but he also leads the team in penalty minutes, heavily laced with cheap shots or misconducts for not keeping his lips sealed. It appears to this viewer that the Storm offense goes as Bevin goes and it doesn't go well if he's sitting in the penalty box.

There are 2 home games left before the Xmas break, both division rivals (Sicamous and Chase) that the Storm are now chasing in the standings. Let's hope that this weeks practice sessions and coaching instruction can straighten out some of these issues that are plaguing the progress of a team who can't afford to embarrass themselves into the Keystone Cup.

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Divisional Rivals To Test the Storm

Can the Storm Stop the Downward Spiral?

Armed with 1 signed newcomer (Jordan Wilkins -D) and 1 new AP (Chris Davidson) plus a re-commitment to hard work and discipline, the Kamloops Storm face a critical test this weekend as they face divisional rivals, the Penticton Lakers and the Princeton Posse.

After last weekend's bantam effort in Columbia Valley (where they lost 6-5) both the coaching staff and management had some stern words for the team behind closed doors. The result was a good effort in Fernie but in the end, it was another loss. The feeling is though, the team has been through the worst of it.

Playing with a short lineup last weekend (10 forwards and only 5 defense) after a mass release of players, the Storm was immediately behind the 8 ball, but with a fortified line-up this weekend the team needs to be more than competitive... they need to win. Sicamous, Princeton and Chase have all bypassed the Storm in the standings but still remain within striking distance. A strong 60 day run to the end of the season would be appropriate to help their cause and keep the fans in the stands.

We will be broadcasting the game Saturday night from the Mac Park Centre at 7pm. Tonight's game will also be broadcasted from Penticton by the Lakers crew. Both games can be accessed live through the www.KIJHL.ca

storm at lakers

Friday afternoon Dec.11th the Kamloops Storm get on the bus and travel to Penticton to face the Lakers.Probable line combos for the storm are Jason Alessio centering Rylee Orr and Taylor Stuart,Tyler Jackson centering Kolten Moen and Chase Edwards,Gary Rai centering Bevin Ollek and Duncan Schultz and Matt Pouncy and Cody Jules as the extra forwards.Proable d-pairing are Mike Mccance and Brett Defrias,Ryan Skinner and Logan Hawgood,Brady Fuller and newcomer Jordan Wilkins.My guess is is Anthony Manfreddi gets the call in goal friday night.The game can be seen live on kijhl.com witht he puck drop set for 7:00pm.Next home action for the Storm is Saturday Dec.12th when the team hosts the Princeton Posse.

storm in the east kooteneys for 2 games

Last night the Kamloops Storm left a snowy North Kamloops and traveled to Cranbrook home for the next day and a half.We were greeted by the sunshine when we arrived in Cranbrook this morning.The team play in Invermere tonight against the Columbia Valley Rockies and tomorrow night against the Fernie Ghost Riders before heading home.Probable line combos for tonight are Jason Allesio centering Bevin Ollek and Gary Rai,Tyler Jackson centering Taylor Stuart and Riley Orr,Colten Moen centering Duncan Schultz and Cody Jules/Chase Edwards.Probable d-pairings are Mike Mccance and Logan Hawgood and Ryan Skinner and Brett Defrias/Brady Fuller.The game will be live on KIJHL.com at 7:30.

Storm upcoming 2 game road trip to the East Kooteneys

Tomorrow night Dec. 3rd the Kamloops Storm travel to Cranbrook to start a 2 game road trip where the team will face the Columbia Valley Rockies in Invermere on Friday and than Saturday night the team will face the Fernie Ghost Riders in Fernie.Both games are available over the internet.Probable lines for the Storm are Jason Alessio centering Bevin Ollek and Gary Rai,Tyler Jackson centering Taylor Stuart and Chase Edwards and Kolten Moen centering Duncan Schultz and Cody Jules.Probable d pairings are Mike Mccance and Logan Hawgood,Ryan Skinner and Brett Defrias and Brady Fuller as the 5th d-man.I will post an update on Saturday from beautiful Cranbrook.

2010 Keystone Cup

Tournament Packages on Sale Now for the 2010 Keystone Cup


The Kamloops Storm, the host committee for the 2010 Keystone Cup announced today that tournament packages are now available for the 2010 Keystone Cup which is being held in Kamloops, BC from April 15-18, 2010.

The host committee is offering early-bird packages priced at $75 plus taxes and applicable fees until December 31, 2009. Tournament packages can be purchased by contacting the Storm office at 250-376-0990 or dewar@vip.net.

Tournament packages will be regularly prices at $100 beginning Jan. 1, 2010.

"It's a great opportunity for Kamloops to be hosting this prestigious event," said Kamloops Storm owner Barry Dewar. "Having competed in the event in 2005 I had an opportunity to watch this event. Our goal is to make this the best Keystone Cup in history. And we're hoping many people will find tickets under their trees this Christmas."

The Keystone Cup is a six (6) team tournament to crown the Western Canadian Junior B Champion. League champions from B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Northwest Ontario and the host team will compete for the 2010 Championship.

For more information about the Kamloops Storm and the upcoming event visit kamloopsstormhockey.com or kijhl.ca.

For more information about BC Hockey, please visit the BC Hockey website at www.bchockey.net or email info@bchockey.net.

Losing Skid Prompts Roster Changes

5 Players Released Immediately

The Kamloops Storm have released five players with the Dec. 1, carding deadline.

Keaton Miller, Spencer Donaldson, Jordan Suzuki and Sheldon McDonald.
Dominic Alec was also released due to health issues (upper body injury).

The Dec. 1 carding deadline gives KIJHL teams 25 new cards to use for the rest of the season.
With the team hosting the Keystone Cup the Storm are looking to improve their line up to be competitive during the tournament. Storm owner and general manager Barry Dewar wishes the players all the best for the future.
"It's always hard to make changes, but sometimes it needs to be done. We have a wonderful opportunity with the Keystone Cup being held in Kamloops and we need to put our best foot forward. We want to be competitive during the tournament and bring a championship to the River City," Dewar said.

The new-look Storm line up will be in action Friday night in Invermere against the Columbia Valley Rockies and Saturday in Fernie. Next home game will be Dec. 12 when the Storm host the Princeton Posse. Game time is 7 p.m. at McArthur Island Sports and Events Centre.

For more information on the released players contact Dewar at 250-574-7811 or 250-376-0990.

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