The 100 Mile House Wranglers are still fighting despite losing 4-1 to the Kamloops Storm and 2-1 to the Revelstoke Grizzlies.
Coach Dale Hladun said the Wranglers were severely outshot during both games but stayed competitive thanks to “amazing” performances by goalies Jesse Schindel and Loic Mainguy-Crepault.
Against Kamloops, Schindel spent much of the game “on his head,” Hladun said, and won the admiration of even the Storm’s fans.
“Their fans came up to me to tell me how good our goalies are. Obviously, Schindel impressed everyone in the rink on Friday night in Kamloops,” Hladun said.
Bryce Burnett, who scored the Wranglers’ only goal Friday, is also really starting to come into his own, Hladun said. He said Burnett will be an exciting player next year and together with Ethan Sanders and Jace Myers is rebuilding the Wranglers’ offensive capabilities.
Overall, however, Hladun said some Wranglers were still making the same mistakes they have throughout the season. As a result, he decided to ramp up his intensity on the bench for their home game against Revelstoke.
“I didn’t want to give anybody an inch. I don’t enjoy coaching that way but we kept pushing, holding the boys accountable and they put in a good performance.”
Throughout Saturday night’s game, the Wranglers answered the Grizzlies’ superior offensive capabilities with their own stubborn defence, anchored by Mainguy-Crepault in net. This allowed them to take an early lead near the end of the first period thanks to Sanders with an assist from Myers and Cody Ortel. Hladun said that Ortel is starting to find his way as a defenceman, which he’s happy to see.
The Grizzlies tied up the game up late in the second period but then hit a stalemate. With neither team able to gain a clear advantage over the other, the game went into overtime where the Grizzlies were finally able to score the decisive goal.
“It would have been nice to beat them, that would have given us three victories against Revelstoke and would have been a nice feather in our cap but it didn’t come out that way,” Hladun said.
The Wranglers have only two games left in their season - hosting Kamloops this Friday and facing the Chase Heat on Saturday.
Hladun said he’s now planning for the future of the team and is confident that next year the team will be contenders thanks to the likes of veterans like Sanders, Tyler Lalikeas, Reid Stumpf, Schindel and Mainguy-Crepault, who will be able to teach new players what Wranglers hockey is all about.
“Those guys are really reforming and rebranding what Wrangler Way is because there’s no quit in those guys,” Hladun said. “I’ve got rose-coloured glasses for the 22/23 season next year.”
patrick.davies@100milefreepress.net
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