The 100 Mile House Wranglers started off their playoff series versus the Revelstoke Grizzlies on a high note, beating the Grizzlies in their hometown 4-1.
While Revelstoke opened the scoring with a goal midway through the first period, the 100 Mile team managed to tie it up before the end of the period with a goal by Dawson Long.
Wranglers head coach Dale Hladun said that while they started off a little sluggish after not having been at game pace for about a week, they were the better team in the second half of the game. The crowd in Revelstoke was rocking, even throwing beer on the players by the end of the game, said Hladun.
Page who had assisted Long on the Wranglers’ first goal (along with Julien Dewey) took two two minute penalties before taking the lead with a goal assisted by Captain Justin Bond. The second period as a whole saw by far the most penalties with 10 in total, five to each the Grizzlies and the Wranglers.
Now that they’re in the second round, there are four referees meaning there are twice as many people trying to find penalties, said Hladun, adding that Page’s penalties came out of hard work.
The Wranglers managed to secure the win in the third period with two goals by James Gordon both assisted by Rob Raju.
100 Mile House Goalie Jakob Severson faced 35 shots in total, managing to save 34, while the Wranglers got off 39 shots.
The win continues the Wranglers undefeated streak in the playoffs after a somewhat mediocre result in the regular season finishing third behind Chase, who they defeated in the first round of the playoffs and Revelstoke who finished first. Revelstoke got past Kamloops, who ended fourth in the regular season, in the first round of the playoffs in six games.
Hladun says that in addition to Raju, Page and Gordon, Cameron Lockhard played well.
“Severson really played strong. We got into penalty trouble. We had to kill three five on three penalties,” said Hladun. “We’re not as good of actors as Revelstoke is, so I mean it could have been the Oscar goes to people from Three Billboards or Ladybird or the Revelstoke Grizzlies.”
Taking the first win and in Revelstoke is a confidence booster said Hladun. They’re also one of the few teams that are rolling four lines and six deep and perhaps the only team where every single player who’s played in these games has a point, he adds.
“The guys, they were just confident. They knew they could do it. The guys are chomping at the bit already for game two,” on Wednesday morning. “There’s a new hero every day.”