Kamloops Storm Poised to take Series at Home

Split in Sicamous Leaves Storm up 3-1 on Eagles

After a lack lustre performance on Sunday night in Sicamous, losing 6-3 to the Eagles, the Kamloops Storm upped their standards and got back to their winning ways with a convincing 8-2 thrashing of their opponents on Monday night in KIJHL playoff action.

The Storm, obviously embarrassed by the shelacking they took at the hands of the Eagles took matters into its own hands and showed why they were first in the division during the regular season. Joel Leonard, who has been Kamloops most prolific scorer in the playoffs scored his 6th and 7th goals to lead the charge. As the big line of Leonard, Jassi Sangha and Ryan Bullock accounted for 4 of the 8 goals, it was the 3rd and 4th liners that accounted for 3 of the 8 goals.

Jamie Galbraith, Todd Kennedy and Scott Kirkham supplemented their hard hat style of play with a goal scoring touch that solidified the depth of the team. Coach Bryant Perrier now knows that he's got more scoring depth than just the first two lines.

Speaking of top two lines, the combination of Anthony Collins, Lundy Trenaman and Austin Goode were very quiet on the scoring sheet Monday as they accounted for only one Lundy Trenaman tally. Collins and Trenaman have been pretty steady in this playoff so far but Austin Goode is nowhere to be found. With no goals and no assists, the Storm's Rookie of the Year has been a bit of a disappointment thus far. Perhaps he can find his touch back at home tonight. If not, look for the Kamloops coaching staff to insert someone more deserving of 2nd line status as the playoffs progress. Austin has ridden this roller coaster all season and usually pulls out just when they need him most so look for a strong performance from him tonight.

In other action, Fernie Ghostriders won it's series handily against Columbia Valley 4 games to nil.

Nelson Maple Leafs, leading team in the KIJHL regular season, also turned in a strong performance in eliminating Spokane Braves in 4 straight.

Kimberley has a 3-2 lead on Creston in a high scoring affair.

The Beaver Valley Nitehawks and the Castlegar Rebels are locked in winning 2 games apiece in a series that is expected to go all the way to 7 games.

In Okanagan Shuswap action the Revelstoke Grizzlies and the Summerland Sting are locked in a 2-2 series tie. This could also be a long series as both teams were evenly matched throughout the season series. The winner of this round will take on the winner of Kamloops-Sicamous in the next playoff series.

See you tonight at the game.

Anthony Collins Grounds the Eagles

Sicamous Now Behind the Eight-Ball

It started to look much the like the night before when the Kamloops Storm had to go into double-overtime to nix the Sicamous Eagles 4-3.

The first period was a quiet, tight checking affair with both teams displaying discipline and tenacity. Aggressive forechecking by both teams, forcing the defensemen to rush their passing created a lot of scrambled play in the neutral zone. Both goaltenders were tested but not to their capacity, with Sicamous starter, Derrick Westlund possibly being tested more than counterpart Anthony Manfredi. It was until the last minute of the period that Joel Leonard broke the ice with the game's first goal. It was the fourth straight goal for Leonard and the Storm.

It was the 2nd period where the game started to take on a familiar flavour and the goals started coming. Sicamous tied it at 1-1 with a goal from Mike Iorio, who again had a strong performance.
Play kind of lulled again, tight checking but near the middle of the period Sicamous started getting into penalty trouble when Kamloops notched 2 power play goals to make the game 3-1.

First it was Jake Young on a nice feed from Anthony Colins and solid work by Lundy Trenaman making it 2-1. Then, less than 3 minutes later, Trenaman put a bulge in the old onion bag for his first playoff marker to make it 3 to 1. Again Collins made the play with the extra helper coming from Jassi Sangha.

In a strange move, I thought, Sicamous made a goaltender change. I don't think that it was the play of Westlund as much as the coach may have felt that the team need a lift so in went Riley Wall. And the coach must have been pleased with what he saw. The team rallied effectively for the rest of the period, scoring 2 goals in a 25 second span to knot the contest once more at 3-3 going into the 3rd. Mike Iorio scored his second of the evening on a power play with 3:21 remaining in the period to close the gap to 3-2. Shortly after, on a CSM (Confused Storm Moment) it was Aaron Buat blasting one in from the high slot, beating Manfredi and tieing the score. Things were still looking awful familiar going into the 3rd period, tied at 3.

The teams played cautiously for the first 7 minutes when Anthony Collins took matters into his own hands. Collins picked up the puck in his own end, did a tight circle, surveyed his options and bolted up the ice. He hit his own blueline in the middle of the ice with speed. Following blocks like a running back in football, he bobbed left, weaved right, eluded a couple of checkers, slid wide around another defender and attacked the net from the left side. With a seemingly effortless flick he flew the puck high over the shoulder of goaltender Wall into the roof of the net, where his momma keeps the cookies. Brilliant. The crowd went nuts. Play of the game.

Five minutes later Collins and Trenaman were at it again setting up David Osborne for a big blast from the blueline that just blew by everyone making the score 5-3. Just over a minute later, Joel Leonard put the game out of reach with his 5th goal in 2 nights to put the Storm up 6-3.

Sicamous was down but not out as they scored their 4th goal immediatly after the centre ice faceoff. Shane Lightfoot, who was kept under closer checking this evening took advantage of another CSM, broke in after getting the puck from Eric Holzschuh and quickly blasted it by a surprised Anthony Manfredi.

In the end, Kamloops showed its superiority on home ice (even though game 2 was played on the NHL rink instead of the Olympic rink). Sicamous mustered up a pretty serious challenge in both games and one wonders if that was the best that they had to offer.

Collins ended up as first star with a 4 point night, 1-3 while Lundy Trenaman was second star with a goal and 2 helpers. Sicamous star Mike Iorio captured 3rd star with a 2 goal performance. Special mention to Joel Leonard who also had 2 goals to complete his 5 goal weekend outburst and Jose Reyes who was relentless in his checking and tenacity for the Eagles.

I guess we will see part of the answer tonight as the series moves to Sicamous for a game 3 and 4 showdown. Kamloops shutout Sicamous 4-0 in the final game of the season last weekend and they hope to continue that habit tonight. The game will be broadcast on the KIJHL website by the Sicamous contingent.

May the Storm be with You!!!

• Box Score

Eagles Succumb to Storm

Goaltenders Duel takes it to Double OT

It was the first game of the 2007 KIJHL playoffs and the teams did not disappoint.

In a real goaltenders duel between Kamloops Storm's, Anthony Manfredi and Sicamous Eagle's Derrick Westlund and Manfredi took round 1 of the best of 7 series in a 3-2 double overtime win at the Mac Island Sports Complex.

The big gun on the evening was Joel Leonard of the Kamloops Storm who scored all three goals including the OT winner with a deflection on a hard blast by David Osborne.

The game was a see-saw battle, perhaps even a little conservative in the 1st period which ended up scoreless. Both teams were pinning the other in their own zone with an aggressive 2 man forecheck that pressured the defensemen into rushing their play.

Sicamous got on the board first with a hard-working goal late in the 2nd period.

After having to kill a Ryan Bullock penalty that carried over to the 3rd period, Leonard scored his first goal on a nice passing play between him, Jassi Sangha and Bullock. Only 1:26 later the same trio combined again, this time Leonard made a particularly pretty tip in front of the net that total fooled Westund.

The Eagles, not to be out done, scored short handed, a 2 man breakaway no less, on sloppy Kamloops turnover at center ice when Trevor Torbolm came out of the penalty box, putting the Storm in a man-advantage situation. Jay Stuart got the goal from Brock Backus and Cody Lockwood.

The first OT period went scoreless with Kamloops almost putting it away with 1.6 seconds left on the clock on scramble at the side of the Sicamous net.

Sicamous got into penalty trouble early in the 2nd OT with an elbowing call at 2:49. On the ensuing power play, David Osborne got two wacks at it from the blue line, with the second blast deflecting off of a well positioned Leonard and past a helpless Westlund.

The Storm outshot the Eagles 56-35.

Other than Westlund, Sicamous got very good efforts particularly from Shane Lightfoot who seemed to be dangerous all night and 16 year old Curtis Summerfelt who created a number of scoring chances.

Other solid performances from Kamloops were Darren Mann, Lundy Trenaman and Tod Kennedy who's forecheck kept Sicamous off balance all night. Austin Goode and Anthony Collins both could have stolen the show if any of their efforts paid off but when it came to shooting it was like someone melted the bottom of their stick blades as everything they shot appeared to be a bit of a whiff.

Former assistant coach turned defenseman, Justin Giroux was particularly aggressive in the neutral zone trying to pick off passes and made some great plays but one wonders if a on another evening the opposition may be able to take advantage of that and create a number of odd man rushes.

It all goes again 7:30 tonight at the Mac Island Sport Centre only this time it will be on the regulation ice sheet. It could be a very different game. Games 3 and 4 will be in Sicamous Sunday and Monday.

Check out the boxscores on the KIJHL site here.

In other action, the Kimberley Dynamiters edge out the Creston Valley Thunder 5-4, also in overtime.

See you at the rink or catch us on the air.
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Divisional Awards handed to Key Kamloops Storm Players

A few Okanagan - Shuswap Division awards were handed out prior to the game as Anthony Manfredi garnered both the Division MVP and top Goaltender Award. Jassi Sangha won as Top Scorer and Lundy Trenaman took the Most Sportsmanlike Player.

Congratulations Gentleman, your mammas are proud of you.