Kamloops Storm Slide in New Year

Charity Continues Through Holiday Season

The Kamloops Storm just can't seem to gain any momentum and as long as they keep handing out gifts like Santa at Christmas they are getting what they deserve.

It was a long night at the Mac Island Sports Centre where the 2nd place Sicamous Eagles made the first visit to Kamloops in the new year. And the Storm were perfect hosts.

After taking a 5-2 pounding in Chase on Friday, the Storm came out with some zing at home on Saturday night at home. The first and 2nd periods were close with Sicamous goaltender Tyler Steel and Storm tender, Anthony Manfredi both displaying their talents. The Eagles held a 1-0 first period lead on a power play goal by Quinn Rempel, his first of 2 for the evening.

In the 2nd period, Kamloops came out flying but could not bury the biscuit until they found themselves down 2-0, courtesy of a give-away beside the Kamloops net where Andrew Nunn jumped on a loose puck and stuffed it under Manfredi on the short side. Jason Alessio cut the lead to 2-1 when he buried the puck close in on Steel but it was Bob Turnbull of the Eagles who picked up his own rebound in the Kamloops zone and chipped it past a sprawling Manfredi to make it 3-1.
The last 3.5 minutes of the period were a little frantic. Bevin Ollek buried a rebound on the power-play to make the score 3-2. Then, Jordan Wilkens, who probably played the worst game of his life, took a holding penalty and Quinn Rempel scored his 2nd power play goal of the evening. Finally, with 1:10 left in the period, Alessio popped his 2nd goal of the game and 3rd point of the period to make the score 4-3 going into the 2nd intermission. The Storm ended up out shooting the Eagles in the period 19-13.

It was the 3rd period that proved to be the demise of the Storm. The Eagles came out flying while Storm goaltender Anthony stood on his ear trying to keep the team in the game. Enter the "Big Giveaway". While Kamloops were on the power play, Wilken's was the last man, carrying the puck in his own zone when he got stripped of the puck by Cain Franson who promptly put a move on Manfredi to notch the short-handed goal. Less than 3 minutes later, Wilkens, who didn't learn the first time, committed the same sin again and Daryl Devries of the Eagles slipped another puck by Manfredi to complete the scoring. In both cases, Manfredi was caught sitting in deep in his net trusting his d-man. With both giveaways occurring in the middle slot, Fredi had little time to react and got beaten on a couple of real skilled dekes.

Sitting solidly in 5th spot, if the playoffs were to start today, Kamloops would be playing Chase in the first round.

MacDonald's 3 Stars:

#1 - Cain Franson-Eagles (1G 3A)
#2 - Jason Alessio - Storm (2G 1A)
#3 - Quinn Rempl - Eagles ( 2G)

scoreboard

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The Storm started the new year out pretty well. They lost an overtime thriller 4-3 in Princeton on Jan 2 to salvage 1 point and then on Jan 3 they laid a lick'n on the first place Grizzlies, in Revelstoke.
This past Friday night they took a 5-2 pounding at the hands of the Chase Chiefs (who now have Kamloops native Colten Defrias back in the lineup after a long injury recovery).

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The All-Star Game is being held in Beaver Valley this coming Tues. Kamloops had 3 players selected to play in the game however only Bevin Ollek and Mike McCance will make the trip to represent the Storm. Centreman Tyler Jackson also had an invite but cannot make the trip for undisclosed reasons. Good luck guys, enjoy the experience.

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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

Storm Turns Into a Tornado

Five Losses in 6 Games has Team in a Vortex

It's been a tough 3 weeks for the Storm as they continue to have difficulty putting the puck in the net. Yes, there have been a rash of injuries and illnesses however most of the other teams have had to put up with the same scenario. And yet, despite the obviously poor record over the last 3 weeks or so, Kamloops still remains in 2nd place in the Okanagan-Shuswap Division of the KIJHL.

The last game, against a solid Castlegar Rebels team, was a spirited effort but the results were the same. Lack of offense, sloppy defense. The power play had less moving parts than a rusted out Studebaker. The penalty killing was pretty good but the Rebels powerplay was even better, scoring 2 goals on 6 power plays. Kamloops went 1 for 3. Staying out of the penalty box might be a good idea.

The team +/- is a paltry +2, the worst in the league for a team with a winning record. The goaltending has been fair but overall, inconsistent. The defense is young, with 2 -16yr olds and 2-17 year olds , all rookies. They have been forced to play in pressure situations and have struggled (as expected). They are getting better though. Captain Mike McCance has been the one steadying force on the D and with the return of Sheldon McDonald, experience can be spread around to support the young guys.

The offense seems enemic. Guys like Jackson, Alessio, Moen and Stuart seem to bring their 'A' game most nights but the rest of the cast is hot and cold. No one seems to be the guy that everyone can look to for a goal when needed.

The trading deadline is less than 2 months away. The team still has room for 2 - 20 year olds. I would think that they will stick with their 16 year olds (minor hockey won't take them back) so that means that there are a few 18-19 year olds that should be looking over their shoulder for a bus ticket if they don't start picking up the pace and showing some much needed enthusiasm. Hard work can match skill in this league on most nights.

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

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

Storm Gathering Strength

Despite Dwindling Bench

The Kamloops Storm continue to create distance between them and the pack in the KIJHL Okanagan-Shuswap division. After 3 divisional games, gathering 5 of a possible 6 points, the Storm is poised to enter the New Year in first place despite the depletion of the roster.

The only blip on the radar this weekend was a 5-4 OT loss to the Posse on Friday night in Princeton. After a convincing 4-0 win over the Revelstoke Grizzlies at home on Saturday, the Storm followed up with a high scoring win, 7-4 over the visiting Summerland Sting.

Kamloops came into the year with a deep roster at all positions. As the year has progressed there have been a number of trades, deletions and injuries that have cut back on critical manpower but to the credit of the management and coaches, the team just keeps rolling along.

Austin Goode (5), Jose Reyes (7), David Gore(6), and Jamie Galbraith(5) all had big point weekends, Galbraith being the most consistent of the bunch as he had goals in every game.

Despite the success, the Storm have had to dip into the AP pool because of various injuries and illnesses. Kyle Graham has gone from AP to a signed back-up goaltender as Christian Pedersen continues to rehabilitate from a knee injury. With the departure of Sheldon McDonald and illness to Mike McCance (mono), James Friedel has filled in one spot temporaily while Logan Hawgood (AP) and Daniel Buchanan (AP) played alternately at home this weekend.

The forward too, have been shorthanded. Players like Duncan Shultz (AP), Rylan Willoughby(AP), Cody Jules (AP) and Ryan Clark (AP) have done an adequate job while Ryan Hanes (ankle) and Tyler Jackson (knee) recover from their injuries. It's unlikely that either of these guys will be back before Christmas.

So, despite the dent in the depth chart, the Storm keep rolling. Let's hope that the New Year brings them health and a full roster.
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The back-to-back games against Chase this coming weekend have more on the line than points and pride.




It's the Men-in-Pink weekend where the Storm will be wearing pink jersys in support for Breast Cancer. H.I.S. Ventures has purchased the pink jersys and helmets for the referees. The jersys will then be auctioned off and the money donated to the Breast Cancer Foundation. You can also purchase T-shirts at the game where $5 from each sale goes to the cause. The T-Shirts sell for $15. If you where pink to the game in Kamloops, $1 will be donated.

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Princeton Gets a Break... Lose only 7 Points for an ineligible player

The Posse caught a break from the league who only assessed a 7 point penalty for having an ineligible player on the roster since Oct 5. They could have lost as many as 22 points if the league stayed with the letter of the law. However that kind of penalty may have had enough negative effect on the team that they would have had to fold, considering they probably would have been eliminated from playoff contention in December, fan support would dwindle and team sponsorships could dry up. A compassionate but necessary decision by the league to help keep a long time franchise above water. As it is the Coach/GM's job to ensure that the rosters are in order, the responsibility falls on them. Therefore, coach and gm, Dale Hladun will be suspended for a total of 9 games for his oversight.

A fair ending to a complicated piece of league legislation.
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Injuries and Defections Plague the Storm

While Trying to Maintain First Place in Division

After only collecting 2 of a possible 6 points in the West Kootenays last weekend, the Kamloops Storm still has a sizable lead of 7 points (over Princeton) in the Okanagan-Shuswap division of the KIJHL however with the rash of injuries and defections in recent weeks their stronghold could be weakening.

The Storm has lost 3 skilled speedsters to defection or trade.
As reported last week, Brandon Long and Darren Mann left to find greener pastures on the coast. I believe Mann has not been released from the Storm as yet so can't be playing anywhere yet.

This past week saw the departure of Travis Cech, a crafty stickhandler and speedster. At first he was traded to the Beaver Valley Nite Hawks and then the word that I got was that he was off to Qualicum Beach (Van Isl) to play for Oceanside. Despite his gritty play, Travis struggled with staying out of the coach's and general manager's doghouse by persistently being involved in disruptive behavior. The team management decided enough was enough and off he went. I hope things work out for him.

Injuries You Say

The goaltending position has been hardest hit in this latest injury parade. As if losing Christian Pedersen for the bulk of the season wasn't enough, star starter, Anthony Manfredi went down himself last weekend with a strained knee. He ended up backing up Kyle Graham for both the Castlegar and Nelson games. The team expects that Manfredi will be available to play this coming weekend if required.

Ty Jackson is out with a bruised knee... he's day-to-day.

Daniel Medland-Marchen has strep throat.

And Mike Hanes, who has been on a tear the last couple of weeks will finally undergo surgery for the lump on his ankle. Don't expect him to return until sometime in January.
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And if that's not enough...This is a good news story with implications...

They Swim



I attended a recent BCHL game in Salmon Arm with the Merritt Centennials as the visiting team. As I was watching the warm up I recognized Scott Kirkham on the ice, then Mike McCance and then Sean Menton. All were up as AP's for last place Centennials playing against the league powerhouse, Salmon Arm Silverbacks.

Merritt coach, Al Glendinning, being the sink or swim type of bench boss that he is, threw all 3 of them out together for a number of shifts. And to my pleasant surprise, these boys swam. So well that they all saw power-play and penalty kill time, especially in the 3rd period.

Mike McCance played very well. I bet he saw well over 20 minutes of ice-time including power-play, penalty kill and regular shift. His 5'7" frame played 6'6" in size as he played the body and the puck with precision and effectiveness. He easily out-played 2 or 3 of the regulars and was rewarded with the extra time.

Kirkham played well but just couldn't seem to connect on offensive opportunities (neither could any other regulars who had numerous chances). His defensive game was sound enough to keep him and the team out of trouble most of the night.

Sean Menton took a little longer to acclimatize himself to the faster game and played a stronger 3rd period. He looked a little confused positionally at first but being the smart kid that he is, he adapted well. (...Sure hope he gets a new pair of skates for Xmas Dad).

After talking with Barry Dewar today, I guess all of these boys are back in Kamloops. That's the good news. The possible bad news is "how long before Merritt starts plucking and keeping players?"

McCance's performance sure deserves a second look.

Losing kids to the BCHL is kind of a goal for Junior B's but as the season wears on it would be nice to keep some consistency in the line up.
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Your comments are welcome. Just click below and give us your thoughts.

See you at the game on Saturday... a rematch with Castlegar.

later... kamloopsstormwriter