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

storm moves

The Kamloops Storm signed 20 year old forward Alessio Tomassetti and 19 year old goaltender Alex Christianson.Christianson played half of last season with the storm and is looking forward to coming back helping the team succeed.Tomassetti reminds people that have seen him play of David Gore from last years team.

Fans of Medvescak Bears

Croatian Fans Exhibit Rabid Team Loyalty

After seeing 2 games here in Zagreb, Croatia, it is quite apparent that the fans of the Medvescak Bears are a proud and loyal group. The 7000 seat arena, many clad in team paraphernalia was packed to the rafters for both games this past weekend as their Bears have now won 4 games in a row (the first time all season) and have climbed from 8th place to 6th place in the competitive Erte Bank Liga here in Eastern Europe.

The Erste Bank Liga is now an expanded Austrian League which includes 6 teams from Austria, 2 in Slovenia, 1 in Hungary and the Bears here in Medvescak. The league has many top players from the local countries but generally, the stars are imports from North America. Each team seems to be laced with ex-NHL'ers, AHL'ers and draft pics that found their niche over here. The league also attracts former NHL coaches like Salzberg's Pierre Paget and Medvescak's Ted Sator.

But it is the fans that make the experience unforgettable. They remind me somewhat of the Kamloops Blazer Fans back in the old Memorial Arena when they packed the barn to the rafters, smoking was allowed in the the bowels of the building, Crazy Stu worked people into a frenzy and the fans were allowed to show their loyalty with noise makers and seat stompers. Each game is a event, every goal is a celebration of song. It's quite refreshing. The fans seem to have a reasonable knowledge of the game and appreciation for some of the finer points of both offensive and defensive strategy.

The most inspiring display of team appreciation occurs at the end of each home game. Unlike North American fans who rush out with 3 minutes left in a game to avoid a traffic jam, these rabid fans don't leave until the team returns to the ice to acknowledge the crowd with an encore wave and a cruise around the glass for some high fives. The bar, located in the arena stays open long after the final whistle and is a focal point for fans, team personnel and players to meet after the game.

Over the next week, we (my wife and I ) will be following the team on the road. Today we take a 3hour drive to Hungary for a game tonight. The team will return back to Zagreb, Croatia after the game. Most teams in the league are within a reasonable driving distance so very few nights are spent in hotels. This week will be an exception as the team will later travel to Salzberg, Austria (of Sound of Music fame) and then a game in Slovenia two days later... it will be their only multiple night road trip of the season.

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There is a 9 hr time difference between here and Kamloops. I did manage to catch part of each Storm game (thanks to the internet).

tidbit... I was talking to the coach (Sator) about Kamloops and he asked me about this kid who used to play for him in Boston... Greg Hawgood... I was happy to say that he was alive and well living in Kamloops and coaching the Storm... A big hello Greg, from Ted.

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good luck to the Storm this upcoming week... we will posting again before we return to Kamloops for the home game on Jan 29...




here is a post goal celebration... my apologies for the clarity of the video... it was my first attempt with the camera that I have... notice the blue haze... just about everyone smokes... they can't smoke in the stands but the concourse areas are so full of cigarette smoke that it just seeps into the play area... the players notice it when they play... ugh!

split this weekend

this past weekend the storm played the sicamous eagles in sicamous on friday night and came out with a 3-2 win in ot,however saturday at home in front of a noisy crowd the team lost 4-2 to the penticton lakers next action for the storm is friday night at home and saturday night at home i will have an update from practice on wednesday.

Trade Deadline Looms

Dewar Looking Hard for Reinforcements for Keystone Cup Bound Storm

With only hours left until the junior hockey trade deadline, Kamloops Storm owner and GM, Barry Dewar has a half a dozen cards left to wheel and deal with. According to Barry last night at the Mac Island Sport Centre, he has 2 players on the line to sign today. He said during our 1st period intermission interview that he was looking for guys to fill spots in at forward, defense and a 3rd quality goaltender for the playoff run.

The deadline is for acquiring players that are carded elsewhere. There is an additional month available to sign players that are not carded (free agents) in any league that are sitting around waiting for a phone call.

Barry was pretty tight lipped about any potential signings so we will have to wait until Monday to find out any moves he makes.

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I'll be taking a break from broadcasting and blogging the Storm games. Mike Potestio and Barry Dewar are expected to pick up the slack for the next 3 home games as I will be touring Eastern Europe watching my son play in the Austrian Professional League... stay tuned to this blog as I will submit some updates while we tour Austria, Slovenia, Croatia and Hungary (providing that I have decent internet access).

I expect that team asst trainer Jeremy Salamandyk will provide updates on Storm games while I'm away.

We will be back for the home game against the North Okanagan Knights on Jan 30.

the KamloopsStormWriter

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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Kamloops Storm Ends 2 Game Winning Streak

Lose Ground to Opponents After Loss to the Sicamous Eagles

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Peter and Leanne wish all the fans of the Kamloops Storm

a Happy and Healthy Holiday Season!

Rai Scores Two

As Manfredi Holds the Fort!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


the boxscore

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McCance, Jackson and Ollek chosen to AllStar Line Up

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

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

Forwards:

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

Defense:

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

Goaltenders:

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

Beaver Valley Nitehawks Junior Hockey Club

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

Posse Shoot Down the Storm

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

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

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

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

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

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

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