Jets Victorious

The Oliver Jets scored 6-3 vs the Armstrong Sharks to win the playoff between the two teams. Congratulations Jets!

February 29
Saints upended by the Jets’ Fraser Twins
by Paul Bouchard

For the second game in a row, the Lumby Fighting Saints had no answer for the talented twins Kyle and Dan Fraser who together amassed 10 points in an 8-5 win at Pat Duke Memorial Arena on Friday night.

If it were not for some heroic goaltending by Lumby’s Ryan Dutcher, the Jets easily could have reached the teens, as he faced 57 shots, five breakaways in the third period alone.

Penalty problems, whether justified or not, again were the bane for the Stars, as the Jets scored four power play goals, and rattled the posts all night.

For the first time this season, the Saints had a full bench with seventeen skaters. If this was the group that started game one, they would have been at the top of the league.

The team applied pressure all night, and outplayed the Jets when the teams were even. Penalties had the Saints in the box most of the second period, and were short two men three different times in the middle stanza.

Dan Fraser (4+3), Kyle Fraser (1+2), and Kyle Quick (2) handled the scoring for the Jets. Thomas Nagy, Jeremy McPherson, Bobby Nicholls, and Jake Stuchberry, hit the board for Lumby.

Coach, Mike McCarthy of the Jets said, “We played well, even though we were a little tired. Our best line had the flu all week but they got over it. The one guy was really sick, then he gets elbowed in the head and it looks like he might have a mild concussion. It was a good game, but we should have won by more. We hit a lot of posts and crossbars tonight”.

Saturday February 23 @ Armstrong Arena
Armstrong Sharks 5 Osoyoos Whalers 0

In one of the final regular season match ups, the Osoyoos Whalers were in Armstrong to meet the Sharks. The Sharks were boasting a full bench of 4 full lines while the Whalers showed up with just over two. The Sharks have picked up a few new players for the final push in Jason ARNOUSE who has rejoined the Sharks after a stint with the newly formed KIJHL team the Chase Chiefs. Also from the Chiefs is forward Tyson BENTLEY. The Sharks also received a surprise with the return of Tyler BATES to the line up.

In a cat and mouse style game, the Armstrong Sharks dominated the Whalers from the drop of the puck to the final buzzer. The Sharks dominated every aspect of the game and totally stymied any attempts by the Whalers to get anything going.

The first period had the Sharks totally control the game and despite some over zealous pinching by the Sharks defence which provided some odd man rushes for the Whalers, the only thing missing was a goal. The Sharks ended up out shooting the Whalers 16 to 6 in the first period. Not to take away from the Whalers, Steve Clark, in goal for the Sharks, stoned them on the few good scoring chances they had. The end of the first saw the score 0 to 0.

The second period got off to a strong start and the Sharks seemed to find their moment to put some points on the scoreboard. The start of the problems was getting into some penalty problems early. As the Sharks were starting to build some momentum, the Whalers began running out of steam so they stated to lose a bit of focus. With just under a minute into the second period Chris DILL from the Whalers took a holding penalty which proved to be costly as Jason ARNOUSE blasted home a top shelf beauty on a perfect feed from behind the net from Chad PIERROT. This goal proved to be the eventual game winner. The Whalers continued their penalty woes and it was just a matter of time before the Sharks would make them pay. With just over 6 minutes in the period, the Sharks scored their second power play marker when Kyle SMITH attempted to feed the front of the net from behind the goal line and it deflected off the defensemen's stick in front and redirected through the stunned Whaler netminder, Raffi STRUB. Brett HEITMAN and Adam VOTH picked up assists on the goal. Just over a minute later, Tyler BATES was welcomed back with another power play goal on a feed from Tyson BENTLEY and Logan STROHM. BATES received the pass from BENTLEY who was behind the net and BATES just mesmerized STRUB with some high speed stickhandling then finished the job by sliding it between the pads. Not to be outdone, Dan KUTRZ wasn't going to let his line get left off the score sheet as he and Dustin HEITMAN totally outworked the Whaler defence and sent the puck to the front of the net to a waiting Rob ANDERSON who wired a quick shot past STRUB. The second period ended with the Sharks up 4-0 and in total command of the game.

The third period had the Sharks thinking defensively as they had completely worn down the Whalers. With just under 2 minutes remaining in the game, Chad PIERROT and Jason ARNOUSE found Dalaney HALIFAX in the slot who tucked in a beauty just under the cross bar and into the net to finish the Sharks scoring. All that was left was the final buzzer to put the icing on the cake so that CLARK could earn his second shut out of the season.

Shots on Goal:

By Sharks 53
By Whalers 15

We were definitely running on all cylinders. It was the most dominant I have ever seen our team play. It was also the most consistent. We had a big bench tonight and we made some big shuffles to our lines to increase our depth. Obviously it seemed to works as each line contributed to a goal. It is indicative of our team philosophy this season in that we win as a team, not as individuals. Our team is exciting to watch and the prospect of a strong playoff run is within our grasp. We have a very positive dressing room right now and the boys are having fun and looking forward to the playoffs. We seemed to get over some frustration that we have had throughout the season with injuries and some tough breaks. The momentum is building at just the right time and with the recent additions, it has taken a lot of pressure off the guys who have had to take on more than they were expecting. I'm impressed with how they have handled themselves and have stepped up to meet the challenge. It's all part of the learning process.

Tim OSTOFOROFF Armstrong Sharks

 
New web site for Jets

Oliver Jets has just put up a team web site. Visit them at oliverjets.ca
 

 
Saints vs Sharks, Feb. 15
thanks goes to Paul Bouchard for the article and photos.

SAINTS DUMP SHARKS IN SHOOT-OUT
Lumby rode the 44 save performance of Ryan Dutcher and some timely goals to defeat the Armstrong Sharks 3-2 in a shoot-out on Friday night at Pat Duke Memorial Arena. “It doesn’t matter how many shots we face as far as totals go, I count the scoring chances as more important,” says Lumby coach Gil Pearce. “The Saints played the kind of hockey that they can play. We hit a few flat spots, but we played a real solid game all the way through, and again Dutcher was rock solid.

Curtis Summerfelt gave the Saints the lead at the fifteen-minute mark, when he blasted a slap-shot from the top of the circle to beat the Sharks’ goaltender Jory Spencer. The Saints played penalty free in the first period, but in the second, they managed only five shots on the Sharks net because of too much time in the sin-bin. Jeremy Long upped the score to 2-0 when he jumped on a loose puck in the Armstrong zone and fired a wrister through the five hole, unassisted.

Armstrong came out flying in the third period and hit the score board two minutes in, when Brett Heitman broke in alone, off a nice pass from Dan Kurt, to beat Dutcher. The Sharks fired 31 shots in the period, and their pressure paid off when Adam Voth tied the game with under a minute left, off some hard work by Kurt and Dustin Heitman. The five-minute overtime solved nothing, and the extra points would have to come via the shoot-out. Thomas Nagy scored on the Saints first attempt, then Dutcher closed the door on the Sharks attempts.

Sharks’ coach, Tim Ostoforoff commented, “Any time you lose you are disappointed, but our boys came back in the third period, and that’s what we wanted to do; come out flying and get back into the game. We tied it up and the guys showed a lot of heart. We just came out short in the shoot-out. An amazing save by Dutcher in the end, that was a goal. Our goalie stood up well tonight as well”.

 
Lumby vs Whalers Feb. 8
thanks goes to Paul Bouchard for the article and photos.

SAINTS STICK IT TO THE WHALERS
The Lumby Fighting Saints played one of their best games of the season in downing the visiting Osoyoos Whalers 7-3. After a lackluster performance last weekend the Saints bounced back and played with inspiration and had some fun. You could see it on their faces; whether it was the long awaited return of Thomas Nagy from injuries, or the team settling down knowing they will have the personnel to finish the season in good shape, they played with authority and each line as a unit. Whaler coach Gary Unger said after the game, “It was a pretty good game tonight, but we were a little bit understaffed because of illness. Lumby played well and they out-battled us. We didn’t deserve to win tonight”. Nagy gave the Saints the lead at fourteen minutes into the first period then one minute later on the power-play, Joey Weymouth converted a great goal-mouth pass from Jake Stuchberry and Nagy. Seven minutes into the second period, Curtis Summerfelt scored on his own rebound, assists to Stuchberry and goalie, Manny Christjansen. Weymouth scored his second goal of the night when Osoyoos was getting a delayed penalty, and Christjansen raced to the bench for the extra man. He scored from in front off of some hard work by Curtis Summerfelt and Evan Macauley. Osoyoos scored two quick goals while Lumby was having some penalty problems. Trevor Beaupre on the power-play, and Tom Powell while both teams were two men short. The Saints finished off the second period with a goal by Chris Rainkie off a great 50 ft. pass from Ben Callioux, and one minute later Bobby Nicholls scored the sixth Lumby goal. The Whalers’ Toby Kathan picked up the third goal for Osoyoos with a two man advantage, one minute into the third period. Nagy added a second goal two minutes later, unassisted, on a laser wrist shot from the top of the circle. Saints’ coach Gil Pearce said, “After a tough weekend last week, I feel our team really started to come together in our game against Oliver. We had a good week in practice and it showed tonight we are ready to play again. It was nice to see Nagy back. He is a very valuable player, he can really make a difference”. Lumby had 40 shots on Raphi Straub in goal for the Whalers, while Christjansen faced 35 shots in the Saints net.

Friday February 8th @ Armstrong Arena
Armstrong Sharks 4 Oliver Jets 3

In a meeting of the leagues top two teams Friday night, the hometown Sharks stood their ground and defeated the Jets 4-3. The Sharks started the game quite slowly and were stung twice by the Jets high powered offence. The first goal, scored by Brendan OGLOFF on a tic tac toe passing play from Kevan TIMPANO and Ed ROYKA, was a poer play marker. The second goal, scored by league top scorer Dan FRASER, was on a similar passing play set up by Brendan OGLOFF. With just under 12 minutes remaining in the first period, the Sharks were down 2-0. The Sharks continued to battle but were continously turned away by Merritt native Jarrod KRAVONTKA who played stellar in the pipes for the Jets throughout the entire game. The Sharks refused to back down and with help from some fantastic goaltending of their own by Steven CLARK, the Sharks began to claw back into the game. With just over 7 minutes remaining in the first period, the Sharks took advantage of a power play as Dalaney HALIFAX in his first game back in over a month sent Sharks captain Mike RAUCH on a rush down the wing and to the Jets net. RAUCH fired a rocket which KRAVONTKA handled but gave up a rebound to the front of the net where the Jets failed to clear it and Chad PIERROT stepped into a bullet that found the back of the net. With the lead cut in half and the momentum leaning to the Sharks, both teams traded several scoring opportunities to no avail. With just under two minutes remaining, Adam Voth intercepted a clearing attempt from the Jets and sent himself streaking in on a breakaway beating KRAVONTKA while fighting off 2 Jets backcheckers who were hanging on for the ride. With seconds remaining in the period, the Jets began to pressure to try to regain the lead. After taking advantage of some sloppy clearing plays in the neutral zone, the Jets broke in to the Sharks end 3 on two. After a passing play that made the defence look like they were standing still, CLARK made an unbeliveable save coming accross the net to meet a one timer that seemed destined for the back of the net.

With the scored tied at 2 to start the second period, it was back to work for both teams. Both goalies made great stops when they had to, while each side fought to get the puck in the net. There were several opportunities for both teams to score during scrambles in the goal mouth but somehow the puck stayed out. Finally with just under 10 minutes remaining in the period, defenceman Travis YARDLEY fired a shot that deflected in to the net to give the Sharks the lead. Assists went to Adam VOTH and Kyle SMITH. The Sharks held on to the lead to the end of the second period where the Jets were being outshot 33 to 21.

The Sharks came out in the third attempting to build on to their lead however near the 13 minute mark, Dan FRASER tied the game on a one timer set up from behind the net by Brendan OGLOFF and Kyle FRASER. Looking like the game was heading towards overtime as both teams were unable to capitalize on their chances, the Sharks struck with just over 6 minutes remaining in the game. While deep in the Jets zone, Chad PIERROT got the puck to the blueline to Braiden MCLEAN who blasted a low laser shot to the net which was tipped in by Dalaney HALIFAX who was screening KRAVONTKA. This goal stood up to be the game winner as the Jets were unable to tie it up despite some high drama in the Sharks end in the dying seconds of the game. The boys worked hard this week to prepare for this game. It had the air of a playoff match up. We concentrated on playing tough in our defensive end and it seemed to work well for us. The Jets are unbelievable when it comes to offensive power and they can make you look plain silly. All three of their goals were classic Jets goals with 2 or 3 one touch tape to tape passes ending up with a one timer into the back of the net. As painful as it is, it is exciting to watch. The Sharks defence played with a lot of composure and made few mistakes. There were several second and third efforts by them which ended up breaking up plays and allowed our forwards to break out of our end. Logan STROHM for example was battling three Jets players deep in the Sharks corner with seconds to play in the game eating up valuable seconds. The Jets were forced to dump him to the ice but even then, as the Jets player started to skate out of the corner, STROHM reached forward with his stick and poke checked the puck away. The Jets lost possession of the puck and missed on any chance of tying the game. That single play was the game in my opinion. I though they also rushed the puck well and created several great scoring opportunities. Any time you can hold the Jets to 3 goals, you must be doing something right.

Steve CLARK played one of his most solid games of the season in net for the Sharks. That save he made at the end of the first period on the 3 on 2 to keep the score 2-2 was the "TSN turning point". I think the only one in the building who knew he saved it was him. It was truly incredible. When you have your goalies step up after a big break, it shows their committment and concentration level. He played like he can, rock solid.

Our forward lines were fairly consistant and we were able to roll all of our lines without too much concern. Everyone worked hard and everyone did their jobs. Our guys know what they have to do to have success. They all have jobs to do and they are all up to doing them. As we keep getting closer to playoffs, the guys are getting comfortable at being near the top of the heap but not forgetting what it has taken for them to get there and what they have to do to stay there.

Tim OSTOFOROFF Armstrong Sharks

Sharks Overpower RiverKings: Jan 26

Article by Paul Britton, Assistant Coach of the Armstrong Sharks

The Armstrong Sharks bombarded the Barrhead RiverKings with 56 shots to 16 and edged out the Alberta-based Kings 4 -2.  The Sharks out shot the Kings in the first period 13-6, but ended up down 1-0, after Kings defenceman, Alex Bates scored on a shot from the point which Sharks goalie, Jory Spencer, wished he had back.

The Sharks came out strong in the second period outshooting the Kings 19 to 1,but couldn’t beat Kings goalie, Braden Redman until Tyler Bates scored on a power play on some beautiful passes from Chad Pierrot and Logan Strohm. With the game tied at 1-1, Sharks centreman, Michael Britton intercepted a clearing pass at the blueline and walked in to deke goalie Redman with a nifty move to the 5 hole. The Sharks continued to pour it on and scored again 2 minutes later when Chad Pierrot tipped in a shot from Tyler Bates.

The Sharks continued to dominate the play, powering another 24 shots at Redman, who was fabulous all night. The Kings closed to within one when Kyle Baker scored on a goal mouth scramble with 7 minutes left in the game. The last 5 minutes was a very excited affair when first star, Tyler Bates chipped the puck passed the pinching Defencemen at the blue line and shot it into the empty net.

Game 1
Friday Jan 18
Armstrong Sharks 3 vs Squamish Cougars 2 in Armstrong Arena

The Squamish Cougars were back in Armstrong for the second weekend in a row to try to avenge their defeat from the previous weekend. The cougars came out meaning business with a smooth goal by Spencer SAMSON on a feed from Ross PATTISON. The Cougars added to their lead as PATTISON added one of his own from team captain Troy MCLEAN and Derek STEWART. Despite being outshot 17-11, the Cougars took the lead into the dressing room for the first intermission. The Sharks came out in the second period somewhat charged up and cut the lead to one just over a minute into the period. The goal marked the first of the season for local Armstrong product Travis YARDLEY on a rocket of a shot from a set up by Kyle SMITH and Mike BRITTON. The Sharks ran into some penalty issues which hampered their comeback efforts and that ended the scoring into the third. The third period saw the Sharks start to take back the game as they shut down the Cougars efforts at trying to hold the lead. Near the 13 minute mark, Campbell River native and veteran Shark defenceman Cam HOUGHAM tied the game with an assist to Merritt native and team captain Mike RAUCH. To complete the all defenseman scoring punch, Brett HEITMAN blasted home the eventual winner with just over 8 minutes remaining. The Sharks managed to hold the lead and get the win. Both goalies stood on their heads and each made the other team work hard for their goals.

Goalies:
Squamish: Graham HALLENBECK stopped 42 of 43 shots

Armstrong: Steve CLARK stopped 36 of 38 shots

Game 2
Saturday Jan 19
Armstrong Sharks 4 vs Squamish Cougars 2 in Enderby Arena

If the Cougars were hungry for revenge the night previous, they were really chomping at the bit on Saturday night in Enderby. The game was a back and forth affair with neither team willing to give an inch. With over 5 minutes remaining in the first, Rob ANDERSON scored the Sharks first goal on a set up from Logan STROHM and Adam VOTH. Just over a minute later, Andy MCKINNEY tried to spark the Cougars as he tried to engage Salmon Arm native Tyler BATES in a fight. MCKINNEY quickly realized he made a mistake as BATES turned the tables and pounded MCKINNEY with a flurry of connections. With 10 seconds remaining, the Cougars took advantage of the Sharks lazy clearing attempts and failure to hold their ground as they put one past Sharks goalie and Enderby native Jory SPENCER.

The second period had the Cougars starting to show their frustrations as they started to come apart at the seams. Tyler BATES scored his fourth goal as a Shark at just over five minutes into the game on assists from Chad PIERROT and Mike RAUCH. The Cougars weren't ready to give up quite yet and they answered back just under two minutes later as Cougars Mike BOSA scored his second of the game. Just over 30 seconds later, Chad PIERROT banged home the eventual game winner on assists from Mike RAUCH and Tyler BATES. The assist completed BATES' Gordie HOWE Hat Trick of a goal, an assist and a fight. At this point, the Cougars self destructed and took several penalties, effectively ending their comeback attempt. The third period had Kyle SMITH put the game away on a powerplay marker on a set up from Adam VOTH. As in the first game the night before, both goalies played very well and it was a good win for Armstrong's Jory SPENCER. He worked hard for it and did what he had to do to keep his team in the game. It was one of his best performances this season. The win has put the Sharks into first place in the standings.

Goalies:
Squamish: Graham HALLENBECK stopped 51 of 54 shots

Armstrong: Jory SPENCER stopped 33 of 35 shots

Game 3:
Sunday Jan 20
Armstrong Sharks 2 Lumby Fighting Saints 3 in Lumby Arena

The Sharks travelled to Lumby on Sunday to meet the Saints. The Saints coming off 2 weekend overtime losses to the Osoyoos Whalers and the Sharks off two big wins over the first placed Cougars. The Sharks were actually filling in last minute for the Cougars who had to return to Squamish early. The Saints came out with the obvious game plan to physically dominate and intimidate the Sharks. This was accented in a scary moment with just over four minutes into the game when Lumby's Joey WEYMOUTH boarded the Sharks Evan MOSS nearly headfirst into the boards for which he received a major penalty. The Saints continued to make their usual physical presence known throughout the game and at just over 8 minutes remaining in the second period, Jeremy MACPHERSON cross checked Shark Kyle SMITH in the face after the whistle. MACPHERSON received a match penalty and will face further league sanctions pending review of this cowardly act. The Saints were able to defeat the Sharks powerplay as they couldn't solve the stellar play of Saints goalie Ryan DUTCHER. He stopped 23 shots in the second period alone.

The third period saw the Sharks show some spark as they scored two quick goals and by four minutes in, cut the Saints lead to 1. At this point, DUTCHER again stepped in to save the day as he single handedly fended off the Sharks attack.

We made a few bad mistakes where we handed the game over to the Saints. A couple bad giveaways where the Saints capitalized were the difference. We badly outshot the Saints and from a hockey standpoint, we just came up short. It's tough on the guys when you see two of your teammates get badly injured by someone who has no respect for other players or for the game. It's something you hate to see and something that we are constantly working on as a league to improve on.

Goalies:
Lumby: Ryan DUTCHER stopped 54 of 56 shots
Armstrong: Steven CLARK stopped 25 of 28 shots

Tim OSTOFOROFF

Saturday January 12, 2008 in Armstrong, B.C.

Armstrong Sharks 4 Squamish Cougars 3

The Sharks met the first place Cougars(tied with Oliver Jets) Saturday Night in front of a great crowd in Armstrong as they had their sponsor recognition night where the corporate donors received Sharks replica jerseys.

The game got off to a quick start with both teams showing off their smooth skating abilities. The Sharks struck first just over a minute and a half into the game as the all local Armstrong native connection of defenseman Brett HEITMAN, with forwards Kyle SMITH and Mike BRITTON combined on a sweet set up. The games continued in a very technically sound game with both teams executing well. At just over 7 minutes remaining, the Cougars solved goalie Jory SPENCER's stone wall with a flawless passing play and finding the back of the net. The Sharks were then caught sleeping as the Cougars scored one with just over 30 seconds left in the period.

The second period saw the Sharks come out flying with Adam Voth on a set up from Salmon Arm local Tyler Bates. Near the 8 minute mark, Tyler Bates struck with a precision shot past Squamish goalie Julian Talvara off a perfect feed from Armstrong local defenseman Travis Yardley.

The third period saw the Sharks come out trying to protect the one goal lead. After just over 5 minutes in, the Cougars capitalized on a scoring chance and tied up the game. It looked as though the game was heading to overtime until Rob Anderson stepped into a pass from Mike Britton to stuff one by Talavara. It was the second game in a row where Anderson came through in the clutch with a goal in the dying seconds. Despite pulling the goalie and getting a late penalty, the Cougars pressed the Sharks to the end and nearly tied the game, but came up short in the end.

The boys played strong for both teams. It was a very skilled game with few mistakes. Both goalies played well with the Sharks' Spencer stopping 26 of 29 shots and Talavara stopping 41 of 45. There were several players that really stepped up for the Sharks as we can'y seem to get over our injury/flu bug. We were only able to run two lines in the third period. I was proud of the guys. They really worked hard for the win. I don't think there was much left in the tank after the game. Mike Britton played very solid as he played a very physical game and contributed two assists. He is becomming one of our premier players as his confidence builds. Our defence has also stepped up in the last few games as they are also gaining confidence and becoming more offensive minded. Our veteran defencemen are bringing along Logan STROHM, Braiden Mclean and Chris Ward nicely as everyone is improving.



Sunday January 13, 2008, in Oliver, B.C.

Armstrong Sharks 3 Oliver Jets 5

The Sharks met the other first place team the Oliver Jets on Sunday in Oliver. The always offensively strong Jets came out to a short Sharks bench and struck first to take a 1-0 lead into the first intermission. The Jets took a 2-0 lead until Mike Britton fed Logan Strohm who blasted a laser beam shot past Jets goalie Cody Deadmarsh. The Sharks clawed back into the game with goals by Tyler Bates and Cam Houghman. Bates' goal the result of old fashioned hard wotk in the corner to set up Bates in the slot for another precision shot. Houghman's goal on a pass from Evan Moss. The Sharks basically ran out of steam and were unable to fend off the assault by the Jets Dan Fraser who simply took the game over and eventually completed his hat trick. The Sharks fell 5-3.

Both goalies played well with Spencer facing 38 shots and Deamarsh facing 41. It was a very even game with a nearly shot for shot slugfest. It was basically down to who could solve the other's goalie. Unfortunately for the Sharks it was the Jets. Oliver is obviously one of the teams to beat this season. It is tough to go there with 6 players out due to injury and at least 3 who are playing hurt. It's not a good mix but I'm still happy with the guys who are doing a great job stepping up.

Next Sharks games

Friday January 18 in Armstrong vs Squamish Cougars 7:30pm

Saturday January 19 in Enderby (last Enderby Game) vs Squamish Cougars 7 pm

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Saturday January 5, 2008

Barrhead River Kings 4 Armstrong Sharks 3

The Armstrong Sharks were back in action on Saturday night in Enderby vs the Barrhead River Kings. The Sharks and River Kings battled back and forth with both teams taking their best shots at getting the first goal. With 33 seconds remaining, the River Kings took advantage of some lazy play by the Sharks and scored. The second period saw more of the same but the River Kings goalie refused to allow any past him despite being badly outshot. With just over 5 minutes remaining in the period, the Sharks finally got one by Braden REDMAN. The deadlock did not last long as the River Kings regained the lead just over a minute later. With just under two minutes into the third period, Salmon Arm product Tyler Bates simply made at least 3 River Kings defenders look foolish and then completed the spectacle with a laser wrist shot that he tucked just under the cross bar in to the net. The whole rink was in awe. The third saw a similar back and forth style game which eventually looked as though overtime was eminent, however with 16 seconds remaining, the River Kings took advantage of yet another sloppy play and scored on a seemingly harmless shot the deflected through the pads of Sharks goalie Jory SPENCER.

I was happy to see the effort throughout the game considering the boys have not played in a game for several weeks and have had only one practice. We made Barrhead look better that we should have. The official shots were 41 to 24 for the Sharks. Jory SPENCER played well and it was unfortunate that some of the guys in front of him let him down. A couple of bad concentration breakdowns cost us the hockey game and to lose with a few seconds remaining is tough. Defenseman Brett HEITMAN scored two goals for the Sharks and played a solid game. Despite the loss, it was a fairly good start to the New Year.


Sunday January 6, 2008

Armstrong Sharks 6 Lumby Fighting Saints 5

In a classic North Okanagan WHA rivalry match up, the Saints met the Sharks on home ice in Lumby on Sunday afternoon. The hard hitting fast paced game saw the Saints jump out to a 1-0 lead at the end of 1. The Saints added to their lead just over two minutes into the game. The Sharks came back in due course and ended up leading 3-2 until Jesse REUSCH singlehandedly lead a rush and fired a shot beating Steven CLARK high to tie it 3-3 with a half second left on the clock. The third period saw the Saints self destruct as they took 50 minutes in penalties in the third period to the Sharks 14 minutes. Despite being short handed, the Saints held their own and never saw the Sharks ahead by more than a goal. With 46 seconds remaining, the Saints Jesse RUESCH compleyed his hat trick with the tying goal. 16 seconds later, the Sharks Rob ANDERSON beat Saints goaile Ryan DUTCHER for the eventual high drama game winner.

The Sharks showed a lot of discipline against the always tough Saints. The Sharks battled hard and came out on top. They deserved that result. We still have a lot of work to do to get back to where we left off before Christmas. The conditioning was not where it should be and we were out a step. Nothing that can'y be fixed. Overall I was happy with their performance this weekend.

The Sharks next home game will be Saturday January 12 in Armstrong vs the Squamish Cougars @ 7pm.


Tim Ostoforoff

Sunday December 2
Armstrong 4 Barrhead 5 (Overtime)
In nothing much more than a continuation of the night before, the Sharks and River Kings continued the back an forth affair.  The game ended up in overtime with the Sharks dominating and missing several great scoring chances due to many strong saves by Barrhead goalie Sam VIAU.  He was their saving grace this weekend and played very well.  Mid way through the 5 minute overtime, Barrhead had a weak shot that was mishandled by Sharks goalie Steve Clark.  It was a tough goal as of course it signified the end of the weekend.  All of our guys showed a tremendous amount of perserverance throughout the weekend.  Adam Voth scored a hat trick in the final Barrhead game despite taking a bad knee from the night before.  His knee was swollen up like a balloon and he was in a lot of pain.  As one of our captains, sitting out was not an option for him.  He went out there and showed the guys an incredible amount of heart.  It was a representation of some of the keys to our success this season.  The boys are learning some of the things it takes and sacrifice for the team.  Even though we came out of the weekend with 1 win and 2 overtime losses, we still fought hard for the four points we received.  We are now tied for first place with Squamish.  We are continuing to see the rewards of our hard work. The Sharks next home game is scheduled for Saturday December 15th in Armstrong vs Oliver  @ 7:30pm.

Friday November 30
Armstrong 5 in Lumby 3

The first period was a back and forth affair with neither ream making any serious efforts at getting on the scoreboard. The second period saw Lumby get things going with a strike just over 3 minutes in.  This sparked the Saints who added a second only 17 seconds later.  Less than a minute after that, the Sharks answered with a goal to answer the attack.  With just over a minute left, the Sharks tied it up to go into the dressing room tied 2-2.  The third period had both teams battle back and forth with Lumby scoring midway through the period.  The Sharks tied it up a couple of minutes later and added scored the winner less than 3 minutes after that.  Logan STROHM added the final nail to the coffin with an empty net goal with 33 seconds remaining. This was another tough game for the Sharks as we were still short a few of our key players.  The boys played strong and are pulling together very well.  I'm proud to see our guys step it up.  It just shows ourselves that no one is bigger than the team.  It was a huge win for the Sharks as I know Lumby was really hungry for revenge after last weeks 6-0 loss. Saturday December 1 Armstrong 5 Barrhead River Kings 6 (Overtime Shoot Out) Immediately following the Lumby game, the Sharks hopped on a bus and headed for Barrhead, Alberta.  The Sharks had trouble shaking off the bus legs as they engaged in a goal for goal slug fest with the River Kings.  We found it hard to get anything going and everytime we did, we were heading to the penalty box.  The Sharks had the game in hand when with just over 2 minutes left in the game and up by a goal the officials called a questionable penalty on the Sharks then added a delay of game penalty on the ensuing line change to make it 5 on 3.  The River Kings scored to tie the game with 1:24 left in the game.  Overtime settled nothing despite the Sharks getting another penalty to give the River Kings a 4 on 3 advantage.  The shoot out was won by the River Kings on the final shot by team Captain David POPE beating Sharks goalie Jory SPENCER just under the cross bar.

Tim OSTOFOROFF

NOV 26 The Sharks were on the road this weekend playing in Osoyoos Friday night and in Oliver on Saturday Night.

Osoyoos 7 Sharks 0
Oliver Jets 6 Sharks 3

The Sharks left on the road with a very short bench and at least one player missing from all but one line. The boys were met by a recently rejuvinated Spurs team which has been amalgamated with the Vancouver Whalers last week. The Osoyoos team is now the Whalers.
Osoyoos:
Osoyoos having a long bench was able to take advantage of the short handed sharks. Osoyoos was able to capitalize on a long string of Sharks penalties from about midway through the second period up to the end of the game. Even with the calls going against us, I still feel that we had a chance to win but the boys have to feel that as well. We were not without our opportunities to win, we just had the door closed on us by some strong goaltending by Osoyoos goalie Mike HOFFMAN. We outshot them very badly yet of course, came up very short. The score was not any indication of what went on during the game. We went into the third period with a chance to win and we played like we didn't want it. We let ourselves down. Anytime you outshoot a team 37 - 24 and score none and they score 7, you've got problems.
Goalies: Jory SPENCER (Sharks)
Mike HOFFMAN (Osoyoos)

Oliver Game:
The Sharks came out with a little more spark against the Jets. The story of the game again was the Jets goaltending (Eric SEE) who made some great saves to keep the Jets into it. The Jets started the scoring on a sloppy play in clearing the puck by Sharks goalie Steven Clark who left the net to play the puck only to put it on the stick of Jets player Shane COLLINS who scored into an open net. The Jets scored two power play goals and two empty net goals.
I don't feel that in either game, the Sharks it wasn't that we were beaten by other teams so much as we made costly mistakes and defeated ourselves. We certainly had trouble finding the back of the oppsing players net and not for lack of opportunity. It was more of a lack of focus and concentration. This is something we will have to work on. We had a chance to make a strike for first place this weekend and could not take advantage of it. Again, the boys are learning that you don't get handed wins, you have to work for them.

The next scheduled games are in Armstrong Saturday December 1st vs Oliver in Armstrong @ 7:30pm. Friday the Sharks travel to Osoyoos and Sunday into Lumby @4pm

Tim OSTOFOROFF