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Posted 2010-09-02 by Webmaster. - Nitros kick off exhibition play with a bang
Nitros and Nite Hawks
Dynamiter Home Game Tonight
Nitros and Hawks
Dynamiters in the Tunnel
The boys getting ready to hit the ice...#44 Logan Gutfriend, #27 Corson Johnstone, #55 J.T. Ward, #92 Taylor McDowell and #4 Trevor Grier. Photo courtesy of Eric Honeyman
Friday, November 27th
Kimberley Civic Centre
7:30 p.m.
General Admission Tickets go on sale at 6:30 p.m. Civic Centre Box OfficeAdults $9.00Students and Seniors $7.00Child (5-12 yrs old) $6.00Child not in school (with a parent) FREE~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
#37 Mason Spear #35 Goaltender Michael Smith (Photos courtesy of Eric Honeyman)
A pair of Kimberley Dynamiters will get a rare shot at their former teams this weekend.
Courtesy of Matt Coxford - Bulletin / Townsman Sports
Tonight, Mason Spear will lead his fellow Nitros into battle against the visiting Beaver Valley Nitehawks. On Sunday, Michael Smith will look to provide some crease heroics when the club visits the Spokane Braves.
“When you play a former team, you always want to play well,” said Kimberley head coach Kevin MacKay.
“Mason has really elevated his game and has played quite well for us. He’s been one of our best players the last couple of weekends, so we expect him to continue that. I would hope that he’s going to bring it (tonight) for sure.”
The Nitehawks won the last meeting between the two clubs, with a come-from-behind 3-2 victory in overtime.
Tonight will mark their final clash of the campaign.
“You don’t see the other divisions that much so, especially at home, it’s important that we hopefully come out with the two points,” said MacKay.
“From having played them earlier in the year, and knowing Terry Jones their coach, they’re a pretty skilled team up front. They’re always young, and have lots of energy. They’ll come hard for the first little bit, and hopefully we can match their intensity and enthusiasm.”
In order to exploit that youth and a relative lack of depth on Beaver Valley’s blue line, MacKay said the Nitros would dump pucks deep and go from there.
Smith had made his Kimberley debut against the Nitehawks on Oct. 18, and was named the game’s second star after making 46 saves.
It’s not likely he’ll get the start tonight however, with Tory Caldwell about fully recovered from the flu.
Instead, Smith will be saved for Sunday afternoon against his hometown Braves.
“Spokane’s a tough place to play, and the refereeing down there is always a little different,” said MacKay. “It can get a little crazy at times. It’s a tough place to play if you’ve never been down there before, so Mike gives us a bit of comfort. I expect him to elevate his game on Sunday as well.”
The creative officiating found stateside could give the Nitros a good test of its resolve.
“There are always good tests of your mental game when the refereeing doesn’t go your way and the officials don’t like a certain team,” said the coach. “That happens throughout every level of hockey. As an individual, you have to put that away for the benefit of the team.”
The Dynamiters have been trying to stay out of referees’ ears and not let external issues bother them.
“We tried to address that after the home-and-home with Fernie (two weeks ago),” said MacKay. “I think we still have to get our mental game into a better mind frame. We’re getting better at that, but we still haven’t gotten to a level where we can let things go and fight through that.”
Changing of the Guard
With 127 of them to his name, Mason Spear became the Dynamiters’ top penalty minute hoarder this week after the Dynamiters parted ways with 20-year-old forward Liam Jeffries.
The Port Moody native was traded to the Abbotsford Pilots of the PIJHL, bringing his second stint with Kimberley to an end.
“It was just a matter that it was best for both parties,” said MacKay. “He indicated he might want to go home in the Lower Mainland, so we made a deal and got futures back.”
Jeffries had been on pace for 495 penalty minutes, as he was leading the KIJHL with 218 in 22 games.
Jeffries had picked up 21 minutes in his last game as a Nitro, 19 of them after trying to fight an unwilling Fernie Ghostrider in Zach Fridella last Saturday.
Jeffries had four goals and eight points for the Dynamiters this season.
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