Chase Win 4-3 in OT

Storm Needs Big Win Tonight to Survive

It's a short series and the Chase Chiefs have gained back the momentum in the series with a gutsy 4-3 Double OT win at the Mac Island Sports and Events Centre in Kamloops last night.

With a handsome crowd in attendance, the two teams put on a hockey display that would make any mother proud. It was a reasonably clean game with a few cheap shots thrown out by individuals on both teams. Kamloops goaltender, Anthony Manfredi faced a barrage of shots (62 in total) and came up big all night. The Chase Chiefs on the other hand, seemed to struggle in goal. Starting goaltender, Riley Wall saved a lot of shots but had trouble holding on to the puck and/or giving up rebounds. After Kamloops' 3rd goal (to go ahead), coach Brad Faux had had enough, pulled Wall and but in Jordan Bytelaar who did an outstanding job in shutting the down the Storm for the rest of the 3rd period and in the overtime periods. Well enough to get the win and a 2-1 series lead.

Possibly the best player on the ice for the evening was Chiefs captain, Kyle Fraser who ended up with 3 assists on the night and on the ice for all 4 goals for. Other than Manfredi, the Storm got solid performances from Duncan Schultz, who has elevated his game, Jason Alessio, Rylee Orr and Bevin Ollek.

The overtime periods were the most exciting play that we have seen for a while. It was back and forth like a ping-pong game with neither goaltender giving anything up. About half way through the 2nd overtime period, it was becoming evident on how tired the teams were get and you knew that it was just a matter of time. Sure enough, with 3:37 left in the 2nd overtime period, unsung forward Ian Grant slipped the puck past a sprawling Manfredi to seal the win.

Game 4 is tonight, 7 pm at the Mac Island Sport Centre... If the Storm win, it's back to Chase's barn on Wednesday. If Chase wins they will be opening up the 2nd round in Revelstoke (either team will end up playing Revelstoke as Sicamous and the Princeton Posse are slated to meet in the next round as the Eagles disposed of the Penticton Lakers on 3 straight games.

Win or lose this series... the Storm will still be participating in the Keystone Cup in April at the Mac Island Sports Centre.

Kamloops Notes:

Cody Jules was a healthy scratch.

Mitch Lutz has decided to pack it in... apparently not happy with his ice time.

Brett DeFrias played a little forward the other night in Chase... there were just too many D-men dressed and he was given the opportunity to develop a few offensive skills. It doesn't sound like the team will need him there anymore with the departure of Lutz.

Keystone Cup tickets are available at the Storm office... $100 for the whole tournament... 250-376-0990.

Kamloops Storm Steals Game 2 in Chase

Series Tied 1-1 Coming Back to Mac Island Sports Centre

Game 1 - Chase wins 2-1 in 3rd Period Comeback

The Storm played a solid game in Chase on Friday night but it was their lack of discipline that got them into penalty trouble in the 3rd period that eventually cost them the game. Jason Alessio, perhaps the Storms most consistent two-way forward all year, scored in the first period on the power play to put Kamloops up 1-0 and it held up until almost half way through the 3rd period when Devin Hobbs finally put the puck past an outstanding Anthony Manfredi.

A couple of minutes later it was Bevin Ollek taking a tripping penalty and sure enough, the Chiefs finally made good on their power play that went 1 for 10 on the PP for the evening. Although the penalty killing units + Manfredi operated at top efficiency, something had to give at some time.

Chase goaltender Riley Wall also had an outstanding game, stopping 41 of 42 shots and earning the first star of the evening. Devin Hobbs, who had 1 goal and 1 assist was the 2nd star. Manfredi
earned 3rd star accolades for his 35 saves.

The Storm's new co-coach Tyler Liebel was watching the game from the sidelines after being suspended for some verbal abuse he doled out in the 10-3 embarrassment in Revelstoke last weekend.

Boxscore

Game 2 - Kamloops Storm Win 7-4

It was the Storms power play, including 3 in the first period that put them in the drivers seat in game 2. It was a wide open 1st period with a total of 6 goals but it was Kamloops who led 4-2 going into the intermission. The Chiefs were guilty of giving up 5 power play opportunities to their arch rivals who really put it to them.

The teams both lost their discipline in the 2nd period when 10 minor penalties were called and each team capitalized once on the PP and once each at even strength. The score after two periods was 6-4 for the Storm.

Both teams came out playing hockey instead of hacky in the 3rd period and the goaltenders turned it up a notch stopping every shot taken. The only goal scored was by Duncan Schultz who scored an unassisted marker into an open net.

Alessio Tomassetti had the big game for the Storm, coming up with the opening goal and then following up with 3 assists. Tomassetti is another player that has laid it all out on the line for the Storm since he arrived late in the season and has been a visible leader in all aspects of the game.

3 Stars.... #1 Tomassetti (Kamloops- 1G 3A), #2 Rylee Orr (Kamloops - 2A), #3 Brandon Briere (Chase Chiefs)

Boxscore


Game 3 & 4 - Mac Island Sports Centre - Feb 22-23, 2010 - Tickets available at the Door... See you there or watch to the game on the KIJHL.ca Webcast.

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Storm Lose 2 on the Weekend

Rumours of Coaching Change Circulate

It was a tough weekend for the Kamloops Storm. On Friday night they visited the last place North Okanagan Knights in Enderby and took it on the chin, losing 5-4 in regulation. With Saturday being a resting day you would think that the team would be re-charged for their Sunday matinee game at the Mac Park Centre against the dreaded Princeton Posse but such was not the case.

For the first couple of minutes of the game the Storm controlled the play but on 12 seconds into a Mitch Lutz penalty for holding, the Princeton Posse scored their first goal from Danny Hillman and the rout was on. Six minutes later, the Storm got their first power play and promptly coughed the puck up at the offensive blueline (which has been a bad habit lately) when Chase Salisbury poked the puck around Jordan Wilkins and made a nice feed to Dayton Shaw who buried his first goal of the game, a nice short-handed goal over the glove of Storm goaltender Anthony Manfredi.

Just 1:28 later, Storm forward Gary Rai got caught stickhandling as the last man back in his own zone. Ben Morgan picked his pocket and promptly put the puck over the same glove hand as the previous goal. Manfredi was livid (justifiably so) and was pulled in favour of newly signed goaltender, Alex Christiansen, who didn't fare much better. With 4:13 left in the period the Posse capitalized on another power play on a goal by Evan Stack and the score was now 4-0.

It was at this time that the Storm finally showed an ounce of pride and started to fight back. At 17:16 Gary Rai made up for his earlier blunder by finishing off a spectacular effort by Duncan Schultz to put the Storm's first goal on the board. Then, 47 seconds later on the same shift, Schultz potted one on a some good work by Bevin Ollek... the team had life and went into the intermission trailing only by 2 and on the power play to start the 2nd period.

Riding on the momentum from their flurry at the end of the 1st period, the Storm came out buzzing and managed to score their 3rd goal in a row. Brett DeFrias let a low slapper go after Tyler Jackson slid a smooth pass back to the point. The crowd was now back into the game but the euphoria wouldn't last long.

The Posse, refusing to break under the onslaught turned the period around by scoring 2 goals of their own before the end of the period and went into the 2nd intermission with a 6-3 lead.

It was Anthony Manfredi returning to the net for the 3rd period. I guess the coaching staff figured that it wasn't the goaltending costing them the game and if they were to going to make a run of it, Manfredi would be their guy.

Didn't work.

The Posse came out "storming" in the 3rd period and scored 2 goals in the first 5:o8 of the period and virtually cruised to an 8-3 shellacking of the Kamloops squad. There were a few scuffles in frustration before the game ended but the scoreboard spoke for itself. This was a humiliation and the boys knew it.

SCOREBOARD

The next and last regular season home game is next Saturday, Feb 13, against the Division leading Revelstoke Grizzlies.

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Coaching Rumours...

There were rumours flying around after the game that coach Greg Hawgood had been dismissed by team owner and GM Barry Dewar. I managed to contact Barry today (Monday) and he had a slightly different story.
Assistant coach Brent Fritz has to leave for a firefighter training course in Texas and Barry had managed to find someone competent enough to fill in and work with Hawgood. The new guy was going to be designated as a co-coach and apparently this didn't sit well with Hawgood and he felt that he was being fired. Dewar has denied that he had fired Hawgood but at the time we talked, he said that he did not know what the status of his coach would be by the end of the day.

We will keep you posted.

With the playoffs on the horizon and the Keystone Cup later in April, it's scary to think that this team, the way that they are playing now, will be anything more than pylons for the provincial champions of the 5 most western provinces who will be here to make their claim on the championship. We all hope that someone or something can change things for the better.

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Kamloops Storm Digs in Deep

For Come-From-Behind Win Over the Lakers

Saturday night's tilt between the Kamloops Storm and the Penticton Lakers at the Mac Island Sport Centre took place in the smaller NHL ice venue and the Storm were able to do something they haven't done for a while... come from behind and take the much needed win.

The game started out looking like another head shaker in the first period. Although the Storm out-shot the visiting Lakers 16-11, defensive errors proved costly as the Lakers were able to split the defense twice to beat Anthony Manfredi for two goals. Brendan Persley scored his first of two as he split the Kamloops rear-guards and put one high up over Storm goaltender Anthony Manfredi while the Lakers 2nd goal, off the hands of Lars Hepso, was strikingly similar. To compound their woes, the Storm managed to hit the iron twice during the period with the puck choosing to favour the Lakers. The prognosis after the first period wasn't bright.

The Storm seemed to tighten up their defensive play in the 2nd period and continued to pressure the Lakers offensively, hemming them in their own zone and forcing the play to the net. Their tenaciousness paid off. Late in the period, the Storm connected on 2 goals to pull temporarily even on the scoreboard 2-2. Reliable Tyler Jackson started it off on a pretty 3-way-passing-play with Bevin Ollek and Taylor Stuart to beat Penticton netminder Kenny Quinn. Just over a minute later Rylee Orr deflected a low point shot from Brett DeFrias to tie the score... there seemed to be a light at the end of the tunnel. However, that light was short live as a defensive error again caused a 2 on 1 break and Persley again buried one past Manfredi with 2:24 left in the period to take a 3-2 lead into the 2nd intermission.

It was now gut check time. After fighting back and then losing the lead in the previous period the Storm players were looking for some answers... would they reinforce their will to claw back to win the game or would they go through the 3rd period looking at the glass half empty. It didn't take long to distinguish which way they would choose.

The Storm came out flying in the 3rd period, exerting a lot of pressure in the Penticton zone and generally controlling the play. With only 1:35 gone in the period, the Lakers Nick Beisher took a tripping penalty on Gary Rai and the Storm connected on the the PP to draw even at 3-3. Beven Ollek completed a sweet passing play by Duncan Schultz to Jackson who shot through a crowd and left a juicy rebound for the 6' 5" forward who has proved all year that he can score in close to the net.

Just a minute and 43 seconds later, it was Riley Orr who buried his second goal of the evening beating Quinn on the open side, completing a crisp passing play with Alessio Tomassetti and Jason Alessio who did some marvelous work deep in the Penticton zone. It was the Storm's first lead of the game and that's the way the game ended. Penticton lost their "giddy-up" that put them ahead early in the game and Anthony Manfredi closed the door on any additional chances that came their way.

The fans went home happy with the coaches and players gave a sigh of relief with the result of their comeback effort.

McDonald's 3 Stars:

1) Rylee Orr - 2 goals, including GW
2) Allessio Tomassetti - 2 assists (8 points in 4 games since joining the Storm)
3) Brendan Persley - 2 goals, 1 asst (possibly the best player on the ice this evening)

Boxscore

Next home game... Sunday Feb 7 vs the Princeton Posse.

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sponsored by: The Doyle Group

Peter Doyle (Sales Rep) Leanne Doyle-Hicks (Sales Rep)
Riverside Realty	867 Victoria Street Kamloops, BC 250-371-1119 (direct) 250-851-4099 (after hours) Email Peter & Leanne

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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Storm Loses Ground with Weekend Split

The Kamloops Storm and the Chase Chiefs split their home-home series this past weekend but they both ended up losing ground in the standings to the Sicamous Eagles.

After walking into the Chiefs barn and stealing a game Friday night (6-3), the Chiefs returned the favour on Saturday night at the Mac Island Sports and Events Centre with 5-3 triumph over the Kamloops Storm.

In Saturday's game, the Chiefs came out flying in the first period and put Storm goaltender Anthony Manfredi and the whole Storm defense on their heels. The Chiefs took advantage of 2 power play opportunities (Jordie Cool & David Harrison) early on and then the Storm replied with one of their own by Bevan Ollek. Then the Storm, with less than 2 minutes remaining in the period, had a tremendous... brain fart. In a matter of 36 seconds (somehow we gotta check to see if this is a league record) in the 2nd last minute of the period, the Storm imploded and gave up 3 goals to go from a 2-1 deficit in a close game, to a 5-1 laugher. It was incredible. Their defensive game literally fell apart with everyone scrambling on the ice, flopping around like seals and giving away the puck like it was a Christmas gift exchange. You could feel their embarrassment up in the stands as that ugly period came to an end. Chase ended up out shooting the Storm 23-12, just in the first period.

In the 2nd period the Storm replaced a shaken Anthony Manfredi with steady back-up tender, Will Frolek and unleashed a barrage of shots on Jordan Byteelar, out shooting the Chiefs, 25-6. All the Storm ended up with was a single short handed effort by Rylee Orr (who has definitely picked up his game of late).

The 3rd period was much the same with the Storm dominating the play but in-effective from the shooting gallery. Again the highlight for Kamloops was one short handed goal, this time by Chase Edwards.

This was a game that Kamloops should have won but that 2 minute collapse put them on a course that they couldn't come back from. The Chiefs stole their confidence early and rode it on the shoulders of their goaltender for the rest of the game. Unfortunately, coach Greg Hawgood was not on the bench (serving a one game suspension) to motivate his crew. Instead, he was up in the stands pulling his hair out, particularly during that 3 goal explosion by Chase in the first period and the 2-man-advantage the Storm had in the 2nd period where they mustered very little up in the way of offense.

This coming week sees the Storm stepping from the frying pan into the fire. On Friday night they visit the league and division leader, Revelstoke Grizzlies (who are also in a bit of a slump right now losing 4 in a row) and then they host last year's league and provincial champions, the Nelson Leafs. With the standings tightening up and Chase, Sicamous and Princeton all playing to their potential, the Storm could find themselves in 5th place after the weekend if they don't muster up any points against 2 of the toughest teams in the league.

note: it appears that Kamloops has signed former Storm player, Mike Hanes. Hanes played for the Storm 2 and 3 years ago and was a physical and agitating force on the ice. His controversial hit on the Revelstoke goaltender in the playoffs was a YouTube sensation. I can't seem to find it any more on the internet or else I would post the link. If anyone still has access to it please let us know.

Eagles Master the Storm

Sicamous Takes 2 From Kamloops in Home-Home Weekend Match Up


The Sicamous Eagles have taken a 3-1 season series lead on archrival Kamloops Storm posting victories in both locations this weekend.

On Friday night the Eagles out shot the Storm 43-27 and came away with a 5-2 win in Sicamous. I wasn't at the game but by all accounts, Storm goaltender Anthony Manfredi did all he could to keep the team respectively in the game. It was a solid night on the score sheet for The Eagles top line of Aaron Buat, Scott Feldermeyer and Jarryd Tenvaanholt as they accounted for 3 of the 5 goals. Other goals came from perennial Storm buster, Derek Huisman and a short-handed effort from Cain Franson.

Newcomer Rylee Orr and and Jason Alessio tallied for the Storm... Alessio's being a PP marker in the last 2 minutes of the game.

Saturday night at the McArthur Island Sports and Events Centre in Kamloops produced a much tighter affair with the Eagles again, swooping in to take a 4 point night away from the Storm. Again the Eagles dominated the Storm 39-29 in shots on goal and again, Manfredi was sharp all night although he would have liked to have the first period goal back as Aaron Buat froze Manfredi and fired a low shot to the far, bottom corner of the net.

The second goal for the Eagles was a power play marker half way through the 3rd period when Huisman picked up a rebound on a shot by Garrett Earley.

The Storm made it exciting with a late goal by Chase Edwards. Edwards was quick on the get after a faceoff to the left of Sicamous net and beat goaltender Joel Widen with a sharp angled wrister. Kamloops pulled Manfredi with just over a minute left to play but the Eagles did a good job in bottling up the Storm and keeping them on the conservative side of centre ice.

This was a big weekend for the Eagles who are now tied with the Storm for 2nd place in the Division with 2 games in hand.

Storm scoring leader, Taylor Stuart, is out with pneumonia, which obviously took away from the mediocre scoring punch that the Storm has displayed lately. They really have struggled in the scoring department. Stuart and Jason Alessio lead the team in points with 19, tied for 34th in league scoring. Balanced team scoring can be a good thing but the team seems to be lacking an offense that can really take charge. Bevin Ollek has been a goal producer when he is in close but lately that hasn't been happening enough either. Bevin had one great shift in the 2nd period last night in Kamloops and then all but disappeared for the rest of the night. In his defense, he took a shot on the ankle in the first period that chopped him down temporarily.

The Storm have another big challenge today as they face the Creston ThunderCats at the Mac Park Center. Creston sits 4th in their tough division but has squeaked out 2 wins already this weekend, defeating North Okanagan 5-3 on Friday night and Chase, 4-3 last night in Chase.

Cody Jules and Dominic Alec are also injured right now with concussions (that's what I heard).

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It was good to see Spencer Donaldson back in the line-up after a 3 week sabbatical and also having ass't GM, Gary Donaldson back in the booth where he does a great job on colour commentary.

Thanks to Mike Potestio and Barry Dewar who filled in for Dave Ouellette on the play-by-play last weekend and Jeremy Salamandyk who contributes to the blog whenever he can.

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Kamloops and Chase Split Weekend in Pink

Storm Edges Ahead to 2nd Place in Okanagan -Shuswap Division

A strong effort from veterans Tyler Jackson, Taylor Stuart, Jason Alessio and goaltender Anthony Manfredi saw Kamloops own or share the lead throughout the game Saturday night as the Storm came through with a 5-3 victory on home ice.

Both Jackson and Stuart had a goal and two assists each while Alessio, with a strong skating performance, scored the first and last goals of the evening. Beven Ollek scored the winner with his team leading 12th goal of the season.

The Chase Chiefs got a strong performance from David Harrison, who had 2 goals while Jordie Cool scored the other.

It was a back and forth game where special teams played a big part, particularly for the Storm, as they scored 3 power play goals. The Storm looked like they were in control when they took a 1-0 lead into the 2nd period and made it 2-0 before Chase started to claw back, scoring 2 goals within 6 minutes to tie the score. Ty Jackson, again on the power-play scored before the end of the period to make it 3-2 going into the 3rd.

Again Chase tied the score as Harrison notched his second of the evening half-way through the 3rd period but it was Bevan Ollek with a mid-air tip on a Logan Hawgood shot past goaltender Riley Wall that put the Storm ahead to stay. Jason Alessio finalized the scoring with an empty net tally.

There were only a couple of altercations of note... **Catlin McLeod for the Storm took on Scott Renner during the only real fight in the game... while there was a bit of a donnybrook near the end of the game when Storm goaltender Anthony Manfredi got ran over in his crease with about 10 seconds to go.

The McDonald's 3 Stars of the Game:

1) Tyler Jackson
2) Taylor Stuart
3) David Harrison

The Men in Pink promotion for Breast Cancer was success with lots of stuff donated and auctioned off. The Storm players wore pink sweaters that were also auctioned off after the game.
It was a packed house of 900+ as both Kamloops and Chase fans were entertained by the two rival teams.

League Standings

Box Score - Saturday - Kamloops 5 Chase 3

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On Friday night in Chase, the Chiefs scored a late goal in the 3rd period to pull out a 3-2 win against the Storm in another great game. I wasn't there but I understand that the fans filled the Chase arena too.
Brock Balson had 2 for Chase while David Harrison scored the winner with 2:19 left in the 3rd period. Colten Moen and Brady Fuller replied for the Storm who were outshot 44-22. Anthony Manfredi felt the heat between the pipes for Kamloops while Jordan Bytelaar had a somewhat easier evening at the other end for the Chiefs.

Box Score - Friday - Chase 3 Kamloops 2

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Unlike the last couple of games in Kamloops, the coaches managed to stay on the bench for the entire game. The officiating crew did a pretty good job letting the players play. The players and coaches, in turn, showed discipline and for the most part, stuck to playing the game. I believe that the crowd enjoyed and appreciated the flow of the game.

**apologies for the error earlier in this post when I identified Colton Moen as the combatant for the Kamloops Storm during this game.
Colton is injured and the combatant was Catlin McLeod...
thanks to the 3 readers who quickly let me know

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Spencer Donaldson still hasn't returned to the team but Storm Ass't manager, Gary Donaldson has been quietly doing a good job for the Storm on the sponsorship end of things.

Dylan Becker is serving a 5 game suspension after receiving a match penalty last weekend in Spokane. We haven't heard what the basis of the infraction was but 5 games is a pretty healthy penalty. He will be eligible to play again on Nov 6.

Sheldon McDonald is practicing again. Expect him to be back within the next week or so to help shore up the defensive ranks for the Storm.

Next game for the Storm... Wed Oct 28 in Sicamous
Next home game... Oct 30 vs the North Okanagan Knights

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Note... I'll be out of town for next weekend's games. Mike Potestio will be doing the play-by-play on Friday night and possibly on Sunday against Princeton. I should be back on Nov 7 for the home game against the Sicamous Eagles.
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Kamloops Storm Wins Round One Against Chiefs

Chiefs Lose Composure in Wake of Penalty Calls

Game Writeup:

The Kamloops Storm took round one against the Chase Chiefs by a 3-2 score, at McArthur Island Sports and Events Centre Sunday afternoon.

The Storm opened the scoring at the four-minute mark of the first period with Catlin McLeod getting his first of the season. The goal came after discussions with the goal judge a minute and half later when the play stopped due to Chase forward Tyson Bentley putting the puck behind Anthony Manfredi. Bentley’s goal was disallowed after the earlier play was discussed with the goal judge.

The Chiefs would get on the score sheet before the period was over with Brock Balson scoring.

In the second period the Chiefs took the lead with Devon Hobbs scoring. Kamloops would tie things up on the powerplay with 20 seconds remaining in the period. Jason Alessio scored his sixth of the season.

The Storm would collected the game winner at 3:52 of third period with Bevin Ollek’s team leading ninth goal of the season.

Chiefs head coach Tyler Bolt received a game misconduct at 10:30 of the third period.

In total the Storm had 24 minutes in penalties called against them while the Chiefs had 110.

The Storm improved to a 7-2-0-2 record, as they enter a five-game road trip.

Next up for the Storm play their next five games on the road. On Oct. 16 the Storm are in Beaver Valley against the Nitehawks, Oct. 17 in Spokane against the Braves and Oct. 18 in Grand Forks against the Border Bruins. The Storm are in Princeton Oct. 20 and round out their road trip on Oct. 23 against Chiefs in Chase.

Next home game is Oct. 24 when the Storm hosts the Chiefs at 7 p.m. It’s Men in Pink night at McArthur Island Sports and Events Centre. Part proceeds from the game will be donated to cancer charities. Fans are encouraged to wear pink in support of the cause.

• The Kamloops Storm new website has lauched at kamloopsstormhockey.com

Harpreet Sidhu

Kamloops Storm Hockey

Public Relations and Communications coordinator

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Our View:

The game started out well but it didn't take long for the shenanigans with the officiating crew to start... with the Chiefs coming out on the short end.

The first major gaff occurred when Catlin McLeod seemingly put the puck in the net at around the 4 minute mark of the period. The goal light went on but the referee/linesmen did not blow the play down. At this point Tyson Bentley (Chiefs) picked up the puck in his own zone and started weaving his way through the Kamloops team, taking it end to end and finishing off with a pretty goal against Kamloops puck stopper, Anthony Manfredi. It was a highlight reel goal that, to the disgust of the Chiefs team, was called back after the officiating crew consulted the goal judge and the goal was awarded to Kamloops. In fairness on this one, at least the officials consulted the goal judge. If it was in, it was in, and as I watched the reaction of the Chiefs, it was disappointing but they took it in stride and carried on.

Other than this one error (and an understandable one at that), the officiating was pretty good in the 1st period. The players got to play, the flow of the game was exciting and the fans loved the end-to-end play.

Frustration from the Chiefs bench started early in the 2nd period. There was a call on Brady Fuller (Kam) for roughing and Chiefs coach, Tyler Bolt, for some reason, lost it enough on the bench while talking with the referee and got the boot. It wasn't long after that the Chiefs on-ice discipline started to go south and the referee wasn't in a mood to put up with it. By the end of the period, the Chiefs managed to accumulate 2 more 10 minute misconducts, one for arguing with the ref (Tyson Bentley) and another for a hit-to-the-head (Vonk). Taylor Stuart for the Storm got the boot too in this period for a hit-from-behind call.

With the score tied a 2 going into the 3rd period, Kamloops picked up an early goal from Bevin Ollek as he did some spade work around the net in front of Chiefs goaltender, Riley Wall. This time it was Chief veteran Darren Pittendreigh that voiced his dismay to referee, Jason Chambers, and ended up with a 10 minute misconduct. Less than 2 minutes later it was Tyson Bentley who lost his composure and picked up a 2 min unsportsmanlike penalty + 10 minute misconduct + game misconduct.

Trailing 3-2, the Chiefs finally started to play 5 on 5 and carried their fair share of the play. During a particularly effective offensive barrage the Chiefs scored again but it was also called back due to a rather obvious penalty by Kevin Hobbs for goaltender interference on Anthony Manfredi, just before the shot was taken from the point (can't remember who let the shot go). In addition, Pittendreigh lost it again and picked up a 10 min misconduct and a game misconduct.

After having their line-up reduced significantly, the Chiefs still managed to keep it close. They continued to take penalties (4 more minors) of which Kamloops did not take advantage of. The Chiefs were given a chance to even the score when they had a 19 second power play at the end of the period.

It was deja vu all over again, except this time it wasn't the Storm that incurred the wrath of a dazed and confused officiating crew. There were a number of blown offside calls and waived icings that may have made a difference to add to the mix of frustration. Although the Kamloops fans were happy that they won this game, they were not as elated as they normally are, perhaps in sympathy for the frustration of the Chase fans. The Kamloops fans know all too well what it's like to be hanging on to the gooey, stinky end of the stick.

As we noted last week, the players don't come to the rink with the intentions of having the game deteriorate like we have seen over the last 2 weeks. Both times, the catalyst was provided by the officiating by not making the right calls and retaliating to defend their honour by showing us all how they have the power to "control" the game the way that they want.

It's a sad state of affairs that this has to be the topic on a weekly basis, but for the most part, these guys are stealing the show so, they get the print.

Dave Ouellette
the KamloopsStormWriter

Golden Rockets Sneak Past the Kamloops Storm

3 Goals from POMMELS Turns the Trick

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Advertise on this Blog!

This blog sees lots of exposure, not only in Kamloops but throughout the league and in other provinces too. With the Keystone Cup coming to Kamloops this season, hockey enthusiast from all over western Canada will tuning in.

Contact the KamloopsStormWriter for more info. There are 3 spots open... get yours today.

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Spencer Pommells was the difference as the Kamloops Storm dropped a 3-2 double-overtime decision to the Golden Rockets. Pommells, the 19-year-old forward of the Rockets collected hat-trick.


The Storm had a two-goal performance from Bevin Ollek, his second 2 goal game in a row at home.

The game was rather a defensive yawner for about 45 minutes. The goaltenders were rarely tested and when they were, they could see the puck to make the easy save. Even though Kamloops out shot Golden 40-31, Storm goaltender, Anthony Manfredi seemed to have the more difficult saves than counterpart Spenser Wong.

The crack officiating crew took control of the game early. It seemed that they were intent on stealing the show (which they did for 45 minutes because the teams couldn't muster up any excitement). The clamp came down early in often from face-off toss outs to weak penalty calls.
I was starting to think it was a girls game but then re-thought... the girls are allowed to play rougher than this.

Brady Fuller, a newcomer to the Storm saw some quality time for the first 5 minutes of the game and showed that he belongs. Unfortunately, he got called for a hit-from-behind (bogus) and got tossed from the game. It happened right in front of our broadcast booth and it was apparent that he should have gotten an elbowing penalty, or at worst, a hit to the head with a 10 minute misconduct... but the ref made the call from the other side of the ice and saw what he wanted to see.

Another oddity of the game was the amount of times Kamloops players lost their edge and fell for no apparent reason. It must have happened close to a half-dozen times. They may want to check their skate sharpening technique. It even cost them the first goal when Brett Defrias was trying to bring the puck out of his own zone, lost an edge along with the puck which created a 2-on-1 with Pommells and Herlein. A little give and go and the puck was behind Manfredi.

The two teams went into the third period scoreless when the Rockets turned on the right light at 5:08 of the third period with Spencer Pommells scoring his fourth of the season.
The Storm tied up the game tied the game with Ollek’s sixth of the season. Tyler Jackson and Dylan Becker collected the assists on the goal. Ollek would give the Storm their first lead of the night when he let a high slap shot fly from inside the blue line, which caught Rockets goalie Spenser Wong off guard.

The Rockets would tie the game up at 15:46 with Pommells scoring his second of the night. Rylee Orr and Stefan Jensen collected the assists.

Anthony Manfredi was in goal for the loss.

The Storm travels to Revelstoke Saturday night for the first game of a home-and-home doubleheader with the Grizzlies. Game time is 7 p.m with the game being broadcast on kijhl.com.
The Grizzles will be in Kamloops Sunday at 2 p.m. for a rematch.

Box Scores

Dynamiters Implode

Kamloops Storm Scores 3 in the 3rd to Win 4-1

The Kimberley Dynamiters stayed pretty close to the Kamloops Storm for 2 periods but undisciplined played had Kamloops score 2 goals on the power play in the 3rd period to ice their 5th win of the season.

Kimberley got hammered 6-0 the night before by Sicamous and came in with the intention of making amends. In the opening 2 minutes Anthony Manfredi was forced to make a number of early saves, including 2 tricky shots that came off the back boards. Tory Caldwell played solid between the pipes at the other end and the period ended in a 0-0 tie.

The stalemate lasted until 9:41 of the 2nd period when Justin Fulton, who just stepped out of the penalty box, picked up a loose puck and feed Cody Jules who showed a nice touch and quick hands while he whistled the puck over the shoulder of Caldwell and put the Storm up 1-0.
Kimberley came right back after killing their own penalty and it was Taylor McDowell deflecting a Logan Gutfriend point shot past a screened Anthony Manfredi.

Jason Alessio scored what ended up being the winner on the power-play almost 7 minutes into the 3rd and Bevin Ollek picked up a re-bound during another power play late in the period. Ollek's 6'5" frame is tough to move in front of the net when he takes a notion to set up his office there. Tyler Jackson assisted on both power play goals.

Bevin Ollek notched his second on an empty netter in the last minute. Ollek showed good hustle and deft hands beating a defender to a cleared puck and slipping a deep angle back hand just inside the post.

3rd Star - Cody Jules
2nd Star - Tory Caldwell
1st Star - Anthony Manfredi

You can catch the BoxScore here.

Notes:

- I thought the defense played much better in this game than the last couple that we witnessed. Both Logan Hawgood and BrettDefrias saw a lot more ice time after captain Mike McCance got a game misconduct for a hit from behind early in the first period. Spencer Donaldson, who has been playing forward lately, dropped back on defense this night and played very well. Ryan Skinner is coming along nicely too. The only one that had a so-so game was 20 yr old Dylan Becker who seemed to be a little lethargic.
- Bevin Ollek had 2 goals but I'm sure he could have had more or helped on more if he parked his large frame in the goaltenders face more often. That's how he scored his first goal of the evening. He did show good personal control, drawing a penalty in the 3rd period, turning a cheek to a Liam Jeffries roughing call in the 3rd.
- it's been great having Gary Donaldson doing color in the broadcast booth during the game. We hope that it has added to your entertainment value. Gary should be around all year and we hope he joins us often.

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Advertise on this spot!

This spot sees lots of exposure, not only in Kamloops but throughout the league and in other provinces too. With the Keystone Cup coming to Kamloops this season, hockey enthusiast from all over western Canada will tuning in.

Contact the KamloopsStormWriter for more info. There are 3 spots open... get yours today.

The Storm Rebounds with 6-3 Win

Scoring Comes From Multiple Sources

The Kamloops Storm scored three times in the first period against the Penticton Lakers on their way to a 6-3 win Saturday night at McArthur Island Sports Centre.
The Storm got goals from Bevin Ollek, on the powerplay, Justin Fulton at even strength and Duncan Schulz - shorthanded -in the opening frame and improved to a 3-1 record.

Head coach Greg Hawgood was happy with his team's ability to put in a strong effort after losing a 3-1 decision to the Sicamous Eagles Friday night.

"The guys are really working hard and they played really well. Give them team credit they were down and taking a lot of penalties," said Storm head coach Greg Hawgood.
"Our discipline was lacking. There was no reason to be in the box as much as we were. The guy that retaliates is the one how gets caught and we have to take some hits and not react to them."

In the second period Fulton collected his second on the power play and Tyler Jackson also scored for the Storm.
With just over four minutes the Lakers pulled goalie Kenny Quinn in hopes of getting back in the game but those thoughts were crushed with Jason Alessio scoring his first of the season into an empty net.
Lakers scoring came from Tripp Emmer, Riley Henderson and Branden Redschiag.

Anthony Manfredi made his third start of the season and improved to 2-1.

The Storm were strong on specialty teams with them collecting one short handed goal and one power play goal in the game.

Next up for the Storm is a trip to Penticton Tuesday night. Next home game is Sept. 26 against the Kimberley Dynamiters. Game time is 7 p.m. at the McArthur Island Sports and Events Centre.

Storm Humbled by Eagles

Veteran Sicamous Team Looks Like Class of the Division... so far

The Sicamous Eagles rolled into the Mac Park Sports Centre about an hour late (broken down bus) but there was nothing late about their performance.

The Eagles veteran starting line of Aaron Buat, Jarryd Tenvaanholt and Jordan Hynes quickly showed their superiority by out-skating and out-checking the Storm's starting line of Duncan Schulz, Tyler Jackson and Taylor Stuart . The depth of the Eagles, who have at least 12 returnee's from last year's divisional finalists, was apparent all evening.

Derek Husiman led Sicamous with 2 goals, one on the power play and one just as the power play ended. Scott Fellnermayr notched his first goal of the season.

The Storm welcomed 2 new 16 year old players, Logan Hawgood and Brent Defrias, both defensemen, to the line-up. They were put under fire early and often. Defrias was paired with team captain, Mike McCance, while Hawgood spent most of the evening paired with Dylan Becker. Although both players are good skaters and understand the game well, their size may be a difficult obstacle during the season. Add Mike McCance and the Storm have 3 starting d-men at 5'7" or less.

The bright spot of the evening for the Storm was the play of all-star goaltender, Anthony Manfredi. The young and inexperienced defensive corps gave up break-away after break-away with Manfredi coming up big on the save every time. There was a short spell in the 2nd period where Manfredi couldn't keep the puck out when the Eagles were dominating down low, picking up a rebound and a couple of deflections.

Spencer Donaldson scored the only goal for the Storm. Normally a defenseman, Donaldson played as a forward this game.

Forward Bevin Ollek picked up his 2nd major infraction in 2 home games as he was nailed with a 5 minute hit-to-the-head major and a game misconduct. It was our opinion that the penalty should have been a 2 min. minor and a 10 min misconduct but referee, Nick Swain didn't see it that way. It's pretty hard for a guy that's 6'5" (Ollek) to make a hit on a smaller player without coming near his head... period. Obviously Ollek is going to have to adjust his style of play if he hopes to play a whole game at home this year.

The Storm have a chance to redeem themselves tonight as the Penticton Lakers are in town tonight for a 7 pm start.
See you there!

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Our camera work has significantly improved this year. We have 3 young guys (Mike and Justin Potestio and Morgan Sidkey)taking turns on a moving camera and bringing you more shots by following the play and offering closeups of the benches, skirmishes, penalty box and of course, the goaltenders. Thanks guys.

Kamloops Storm Wins Home Opener 7-1

The Kamloops Storm didn't give the North Okanagan Knights a warm welcome into the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League Friday night.

The Storm scored seven times on their way to a 7-1 victory over the Knights at McArthur Island Sports and Events Centre on opening night.

Scoring came from six sources for the Storm. Goals came from Bevin Ollek with a pair and singles from Duncan Schulz, Dominic Alec, Kolton Moen, Matt Pouncy and Spencer Donaldson.

Anthony Manfredi was solid in net kicking aside 32 of 33 shots after allowing a powerplay marker by Shawn Holliday in the opening frame.

Head coach Greg Hawgood watched the game from the stands, while Brent Fritz and Don Schulz were behind the bench.
Hawgood is unable to coach in the regular season until BC Hockey grants him his certification. He doesn't have his level one and needs it in order to coach through BC Hockey. Without the certification he is not insured, so he can't be on the bench.
Once he's registered he will be eligible to be on the bench until he finishes
the level one class.
The Storm travel to Armstrong for a rematch against the Knights on Sunday.

story by Harpreet Sidhu

3 Stars

1) Duncan Schulz
2) Domenic Alec
3) Colton Moen

BoxScore... click here

Nelson Sweeps KIJHL Final

In Game 4 Thriller



The Nelson Leafs showed resilience in Game 4 of the KIJHL Final on Thursday night when, after taking a 3-0 lead, losing the lead, taking it back, losing it again and then finally putting it away with 2:01 left in the 3rd period to defeat the Kamloops Storm.

It was a see-saw battle that saw the Kamloops crowd playing "taps" after a disastrous first period when Anthony Manfredi was pummeled with 3 goals by the Leafs and pulled himself after only 16:37 gone. It wasn't Manfredi's fault and the team, well, they were awful. The Leafs needed only 14min 12 seconds to build that lead, including the first 2 in less than 4 minutes. It was a quiet building during the first intermission.



I don't know what was said between periods (I can just imagine!) but the Storm came out in the 2nd period and scored 4 straight goals to take the lead. Goals were scored by Ryan Hanes and Devin Gannon with some tough close in work around the net.



Then Goode, on a pretty set-up by Brock Backus tied the game at 3 and seconds later it was David Gore batting the puck out of mid-air to take the lead. The building was frantic.




This time, the Leafs were shell-shocked and with a well timed time-out, the Leafs regrouped to answer with one goal (a beautiful effort by talented Kai Bauman) to tie the score before the final period.

In the 3rd period it was the Leafs that came out flying again when the skillful Dylan Walchuk scored only 17 seconds gone to make it 5-4 Leafs.



The Storm, still feeling the momentum from the 2nd period didn't cower and Devin Gannon scored his 2nd goal of the game to tie it at 5.





The game was pretty even up until late in the period when the Leafs started exerting more pressure and Michael Spring found an opening while Christiansen was screened and buried the final goal with 2:01 to go in the game. The Storm had some pressure on at the end of the game as they pulled Christainsen for 6 attackers but Nelson goaltender Garrett Beckwith stood tall and barred the Storm from the comeback.

In everyone's eyes, if it had to be a loss, it was a great effort to end the season. The Kamloops boys played hard after the 1st period, probably as intense as they have been all year. Nelson was just the better team and congratulations to them. We hope that they represent the league well in the Cyclone Taylor Cup, coming up this coming week.

I would personally like to wish all the graduating players well and hope that their futures are proud and prosperous. Also, there will be a number of players moving on with try-outs in the BCHL or WHL. Good luck to them at the next level. Many of the players will be returning for another year and they will be the core of the future for the team. We will look forward to seeing them in September.

I would like to acknowledge all the sponsors and their commitment to help the Storm become a mainstay in the Kamloops Hockey scene. The team couldn't do it without them.



And finally, to the coaches, staff and volunteers that give their time enthusiastically to make the Storm a real community team.



Barry and Sandy Dewar have put together a solid team both on and off the ice, running a quality organization that is appreciated by the fans and supporters in Kamloops and across the league.
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All game photos taken by Judi Dupont,

KIJHL Final Starts Tonight

Kamloops Squeaks Out Wins In Game's 4 & 5
Against Sicamous to Take Okanagan-Shuswap Title

The Kamloops Storm face the Nelson Leafs this week in the KIJHL Final and fittingly it pits the top 2 teams from regular season play. Nelson swept through the playoffs, losing only one game in the first round to Spokane but the Kamloops Storm had a little different story getting there.

Because of the round-robin format the the Ok-Sh division in the first series, Kamloops ended up playing 8 games to Nelson's 5. Round 2 was similar as both teams swept their opponents in 4 straight. The conference finals saw Nelson dispose of last year's champion, the Fernie Ghostriders, in 3 games while the Storm were faced with the prospect of going out early when they found themselves down 2 games to 1 and trailing 2-1 half way throught the 2nd period in game 4. The prospects at that point looked a little grim.

And then... the leaders led. Gore, Reyes and Ludvig picked it up a notch. You could see Jose wasn't going to lose to his former team if he had anything to do with it. Scott Kirkham, who has trouble finishing earlier in the playoffs came alive. Justin Palazzo tightened up on his defense and wound up his booming shot to become a big part of the offense again.

Austin Goode may have been the most effective forward through the last couple of series. He picked up his intensity and was effective in all three situations that he was called upon. As well as playing his regular shift, Austin was tenacious on the PK and was sharp as the set-up man on the PP.

Anthony Manfredi rose to the challenge in the last 2 outings to put Sicamous away. His counterparts in the last 2 series were outstanding he refused to be outplayed.

Ryan Hanes has been a breath of fresh air with his work effort, quick shot and aggressive checking.
Taylor Stuart was another pleasant surprise. He and James Friedel are the 2 most improved forwards this year. I didn't pick either of them to make it into November.

The rest of the team also raised their games against Sicamous. I was proud of the effors of guys like Galbraith, McCance, Medlan-Marchen and Naka. And what can you say about Sean Menton and Ty Jackson, 2 guys that have given a great effort all year. And I don't think that any team in the KIJHL oculd compete with the quality of AP players that were able to contribute to the success throughout the season including the playoffs. It was a team effort and when they started to play with some fire in their belly, they looked like the Conference champions that was expected of them. Now it's time to keep that cohesiveness when they take on the powerful Nelson Leafs.

I'm sure that the Leafs are the prohibitive favorites and I can understand that. They should be. They beat Kamloops on both occassions that they met Kamlooops during the season. I suppose that the only advantage that the Storm will have is that they have been in the finals the last 2 seasons. If the Storm hope to avoid being the bridesmaid one more time, they need to raise their efforts to the next level to pull this one out.

My heart says Kamloops in 7 but head says Nelson in 5. All I know is that before the month is out, we will know.

Storm Win Game 1 in Conference Final

Sicamous Eagles Running on Fumes
After Grueling 7 Game Series with Chase
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I don't think that I have ever seen a schedule like this year's KIJHL Okanagan-Shuswap Playoffs.
I can 't believe that the Sicamous Eagles played as well as they did because of the schedule.

It was a closed game last night in the opening game of the conference finals. Sicamous came out strong, as we expected in the first period and started to fade in the 2nd period as predicted. But it was their 3rd period that surprised this cowboy as the Eagles really stuck with the lack-lustre Kamloops Storm only to lose by one goal.

The Storm, lacing the skates up with a 5 day rest, again lacked finish in the offensive zone and can be accused a slack effort in their own zone. Their 2 power play goals helped save the day. Eagles goaltender, Chris Kingdon, again kept them in the game as he faced 44 shots to Anthony Manfredi's 28.

The Storm's big line of Jose Reyes, David Gore and Mick Ludvig were generally ineffective. They really struggled in every zone, especially their lack of production on the scoreboard. Not that they were not trying, they just were not clicking. If Kamloops hopes to win it all this year, that line has to pick it up a notch or two.

The best players on the ice for Kamloops were the tenacious twins, Devin Gannon and Ryan Hanes, and the skilled performances of Scott Kirkam and Sean Menton. The "D" was led by Shae Naka, Daniel Medland-Marchen and Mike McCance. Palazzo, Galbraith, Marr and Orr struggled in their own zone. Palazzo was certainly instrumental on the power play.

Game 2 goes tonight, 7pm at the Mac Island Sports Centre. The Eagles are playing their 5th game in 5 days and 9th game in 11 days and have got to be running on fumes. Luckily, their goaltending has held up and will need to continue to do so if they hope to win this series. The Storm need a 4 line effort. Their depth is their ace in the hole and should overpower the spent Sicamous Eagles. But that's why they play the game. On paper, it should be a no-brainer but extraordinary efforts can give extraordinary results. And super goaltending can make all the difference. Both teams have superb netminders. At the moment I give the Eagles the nod in this department, mostly because the Storm's Manfredi has seen very little action over the past 3 weeks. If he finds his "A" game it will be lights out for the Eagles. If not, the Eagles have a slim chance of pulling the rabbit out of the hat.

In other action, the Nelson Leafs have taken a 2-0 lead over defending champions, the Fernie GhostRiders. The series now moves to Fernie for games 3 and 4.

Catch us on the air about 5 minutes before game time tonight.

Your Comments are welcome.

2009 Kamloops Storm Awards Banquet

On Sunday Feb 22 the Kamloops Storm held their annual awards banquet and presentation at the McArthur Island Curling Club lounge. It was a good turnout and the potluck meal buffett was absolutely spectacular. Thanks to everyone who brought food . The desserts were decadent.

There were a total of 9 Awards given out. The Award winners are as follows:

The Coaches award sponsored by DICO Holdings/The Mortgage Centre :

David Gore and Anthony Manfredi

A & W Most Points Award:

David Gore

Radio NL Jim Harrington Game Breaker Award:

Jose Reyes

A & W Hard Hat Award:

Devin Gannon

Home Hardware Defenseman of the Year Award:

Shae Naka and Mike McCance

Eastside Marios Fan Favorite Award:

Mick Ludvig

Sandi Dewar Unsung Hero Award:

Scott Kirkham

Canada Logo Rookie of the Year:

Ryan Hanes

The McDonalds Three Star Award Winners:

Devin Gannon and Anthony Manfredi

Playoffs begin on Tuesday Feb 24 and Saturday Feb 28 at 7pm at McArthur Island Sports centre.

Barry Dewar, General Manager - Kamloops Storm

Spokane Steals One From Kamloops

... Storm Power Play Nearly Impotent

It just seemed like one of those games where not much was going your way.

The game started off well with the Storm's Sean Menton and Scott Kirkham teaming up with the Storm's 2nd short-handed goal in 2 home games. Kamloops took and early 1-0 lead over the Spokane Braves when Menton neatly tucked the puck past goaltender Mike Smith early in the first period. Kamloops dominated every facet of the game for about 16 minutes in the first period but just couldn't bury another. Although Smith was solid, it was more bad luck around the net that led to the Storm's demise. Hard shots and delicate tips seemed to elude the twine, usually high and wide or blocked. The Braves forwards did a very good job in blocking shots, something they did a lot of throughout the game.

Late in the 1st period Kamloops got itself into penalty trouble and the Braves turned up the heat. With David Gore in the box for hooking, Braves captain, Connor Olstad was allowed to free wheel out of the corner and he put a nice shot passed a screened Anthony Manfredi. Just a couple minutes late, Austin Goode got the gate and again, Spokane took advantage of the situation and walked out of the 1st period with a 2-1 lead. Dylan Tappe was credited with that goal.

The teams played fairly evenly through the 2nd period, with the teams exchanging goals. David Gore scored on a deflection to make it 2-2 before Ryan Maul scored close-in on the PP to make it 3-2 at the end of the 2nd for the Braves. But it was their PP that was killing the Storm. With 3 power-play advantages in the 2nd, including a 2 man advantage for 1:32, the Kamloops power play just couldn't get pucks to the net.

Dylan Tappe scored in the middle of the 3rd to make it 4-2 and desparation set in for the Storm.
They finally scored on the power play late in the 3rd to make it close but again, they just couldn't close it out in the final minutes.

Anthony Manfredi, returning from a knee injury took the loss for the Storm. Without any practice the last week and limited action for the last 3 weeks, Manfredi looked rusty, particularly in the first 2 periods. He was buried deep in his crease, not challenging, losing site of the puck and flopping around like a fish out of water. That changed dramatically in the 3rd when his glove hand got hot and a challenged like the Manfredi we know. In the end, it still wasn't enough.

I thought Scott Kirkham was the best player on the ice and together with Menton, they were truly dangerous, especially on the PK. They had opportunity to score a few times but like everyone else on the Storm, they were a little short on finish.

Two things that caught my attention about the way the Storm was playing was the lack of /or poor passing when men were open (the Storm has numerous failed 2-1's) and the failure of the stretch pass. It is such a low percentage play and few guys in this league have the ability to make the pass tape-to-tape. If hockey is a possesion game, why do teams in this league keep throwing possession away? More often than not it ends up with an icing call (boring!) or a turnover.

The Braves were good for their win on a tough road trip. These 2 teams meet again soon, just after the New Year, next time in Spokane.

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The other 2 games on the weekend saw Kamloops take a strangle-hold on the Okanagan Division. Friday night the Storm took a 4-1 victory from the Summerland Sting and on Saturday, they dominated a flat Princeton Posse club. Kyle Graham was between the pipes for both of those games and played exceptionally well when called upon.
Again, in both games, Kamloops failed to tally on the power-play.

Sidebar...OUCH... the Princeton Posse may face a similar fate from the league as Grand Forks. They are suspected to have been using an ineligible player since about Oct 25. It could set them back 17-21 points when the hammer comes down. After working themselves back into 2nd place in the division this penalty will really put a damper on Princeton's playoff aspirations.

Sidebar2... Look for Anthony Collins to practice with the Storm after a season and a half absence. Anthony has been playing in the BCHL this season for Burnaby and was recently traded to Drumheller in the Alberta League. Anthony went and took a look but didn't see anything he liked enough to stay. He is now waiting for another trade back to the BCHL but may have to take a time out and hold up in Kamloops until his deal is done. Jan 10 is the trading deadline for Junior A.
For those who don't remember, Anthony played for the Storm 2 seasons ago. He is 19 years old and looking to get a US college scholarship.

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The Kamloops Storm Crazy Captions contest is now up and running. Just click the link to see what's going on and join in on the fun.

Crazy Captions Contest

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The last survey regarding "if the Storm played the Thompson Valley Blazers, who would win?"
13 responses with 11 voting for the Storm and 2 for the Blazers... makes you wonder if an exhibition game is in order.

The answer for this weeks question will be given next week (see left column).

next home games... Dec 13 and 14 with divisional rivals Revelstoke and Summerland visiting the Mac Island Sport Centre.

2 Wins Last Weekend

Keep Kamloops Storm Atop the Division

Two key wins last weekend, against division rivals Revelstoke Grizzlies (4-1) and cross-divisional rivals the Castlegar Rebels (4-0) has put more distance between the Storm and the rest of the Okanagan-Shuswap division as Kamloops is starting to run away with the division.

Taylor Stuart had 2 goals in Friday's win against the Grizz and picked up 1 assist in Saturday's tilt for a 3 point weekend. Stuart has been playing well at both ends of the ice and has added another skating gear as his speed has significantly improved thru the month of November. The coaching staff have also taken note and have used him in both penalty kill and power play situations. Keep up the good work Taylor.

Jamie Galbraith has made his presence known since he returned from his groin injury. He scored in Revelstoke and was a real physical force in the game against Castlegar. His tilt with Taylor Anderson was the fight of the day of which Jamie was the clear winner. James Friedel also had a fight, duking it out with Jerris Gregory. James did ok but found himself on the bottom of the pile at the end of the skirmish.

Goaltender, Kyle Graham (I believe that he is now signed instead of an AP) won on Friday in Revelstoke. Anthony Manfredi posted the shutout win against Castlegar, however Graham finished the last 5 minutes of the game as Manfredi appeared to re-injure his knee. Graham's signing was necessitated by the extended injury to Christian Pederson who is on the mend at home in Calgary.

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Earlier this week we saw the departure of defenseman, Sheldon McDonald. He has been traded to Campbell River for future considerations. Kamloops as well as other KIJHL teams are considering trimming their rosters to make room for any Junior A cuts that may become available before the roster deadline. We wish Sheldon good luck on the Island.

Ryan Hanes was to have his ankle operation this week. I don't have that confirmed but I do believe he was booked in for Thursday. Expect him to be back in February. His electric presence will be missed.

I also expect that Ty Jackson should be ready to be back in the lineup this weekend but that is also not confirmed.

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This Weekend:

The Storm have a full weekend with 3 games. Divisional rivals Summerland Sting and Princeton Posse are on tap with the Summerland game being on the road Friday. Princeton visits on Saturday night and Spokane pays a visit to Mac Park for a Sunday afternoon contest. Spokane are currently 3rd in the Eddie Mountain Division, just 3 points behind 2nd place Castlegar.

I would expect that the game in Summerland could get physical and I suspect that the game with Princeton on Saturday will be another "swing party" as the Posse are always in the mood to dance.