After being shut out 6-0 by the Kamloops Storm in their own barn, the 100 Mile House Wranglers travelled to Kamloops and showed the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League's Doug Birks Division leaders their northern opponents are the real deal.
Despite having significantly fewer KIJHL-experienced players, and skating on an Olympic-sized ice, the 100 Mile lads gave the Storm all they could handle before losing 5-4 in double overtime on Oct. 25.
General manager/coach Doug Rogers says it was an exciting game.
“We played stride for stride with Kamloops before losing in double OT [three-on-three]. Nathan Warren had another strong outing in net [turned aside 47 of 52 Storm shots].”
He adds the Kamloops boys skate very well, so the bigger ice is a non-issue for them.
Kamloops jumped out into an early lead with a power-play marker at 17:34 of the first, and went into the second period with the one-goal advantage.
However, the Wranglers knotted the score with the man advantage at 16:07 of the second, with Luke Santerno getting the goal assisted by Jayden Syrota.
The 100 Mile House squad took the lead on another power-play marker less than a minute later with Connor Sloan finding the back of the net (Lane van de Wetering, Syrota).
Stephan Egan (Michael Lynch) put the Wranglers up 3-1 with a goal midway through the period.
The Storm narrowed the gap to one marker with four minutes left in the second stanza.
Kamloops deadlocked the score at three apiece with an early power-play goal in the third, but Lynch tucked in a short-handed marker at 14:41 to put 100 Mile ahead 4-3.
Seven minutes later the Storm notched the tying goal and sent the game into overtime.
Nothing was resolved in the five-minute, four-on-four first overtime period; however the Storm knocked in the game winner early in the second overtime.
“The team played really well and continues to improve with each game, but Kamloops scored early in the second overtime, three-on-three period,” says Rogers.
The Wranglers picked up a well-earned point in the game, but more importantly showed the KIJHL it’s a team to be reckoned with.
Noting the Wranglers is a work in progress, Rogers says it doesn't happen over night but the team is headed the right direction.
“There will be bumps still, but there always are.”