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Posted 2010-09-02 by Webmaster. - Nitros kick off exhibition play with a bang
Foreman’s hat tricks power Nitros to third place
Happy Holidays from the Kimberley DynamitersForeman’s hat tricks power Nitros to third place
Courtesy of Matt Coxford
Looking for a pair of wins to climb in the Eddie Mountain Division standings, the Kimberley Dynamiters stumbled onto a simple formula over the weekend.
Get the puck to Brennan Foreman.
The Marysville winger scored consecutive hat tricks — and the winner each night — in 7-0 and 6-5 victories over the Columbia Valley Rockies and Creston Valley Thundercats respectively.
“When you move your feet and you put the puck on net, you’re obviously going to contribute to the team,” Foreman said, after Saturday’s rollercoaster affair at the Civic Centre.
“It’s the best feeling ever when you’re hot like that. I’m just going to try to keep her going. It’s not just me — it’s my linemates as well. Without them, it’s nothing.”
Indeed, linemates Thierry Martine (1G, 5A) and Corey Allen (1G, 3A) had pretty successful weekends as well as the Nitros leapfrogged the Thundercats (16-13-0-3) for third place in the division.
The Nitros (16-11-1-3) took the difficult route to Saturday’s home win, however, with a half-dozen lead changes and penalties galore.
“They’re a big two points, going into third spot now. We’re happy with that, but overall it wasn’t a very good game for either side,” said Nitros’ head coach Kevin MacKay. “I thought both teams made a lot of mistakes, it wasn’t very physical. Neither team seemed to want to be there, and we got a couple of breaks in the third period and got the two points. We’ll take them.”
The teams swapped three goals in the opening 3:36 of the game, with Colton Meaden and Robbie Stuckey striking on either side of Foreman’s first.
Matt Foster scored on a 5-on-3 advantage to tie the game at 8:16. Then Kimberley took a 3-2 lead 22 seconds before the intermission after Creston goalie Sunny Gill left his crease to play the puck and tripped. The puck squirted in front of the net where Mason Spear took it from a Cats’ defender and popped it in.
Travis Ludwar and Meaden scored in the second period to take the lead back, and Foreman tied it from the doorstep at 16:42 on the power play.
Meaden finished a hat trick of his own with a one-timer at 4:40 of the third.
“That’s been our problem for some of the year: we get scored on, we go down and hang our heads,” said Foreman. “We just can’t do that. We hung our heads a couple of times that game, but as soon as we put our heads back up and got into the game, got pumped up and stayed focused, we started putting the puck in the net.”
Martine scored with four minutes left, and Foreman sealed the deal from the slot with 2:29 left on the clock.
“Maybe about a month or so ago, we might have packed it in a bit easier, but we outworked them for a couple of goals there,” said MacKay. “Overall, we’re not happy with the execution and the drive that we need to have going into the playoffs. I’d imagine it’s that time of year that people lose their focus. It looked like a December game, with both teams kind of just mailing it in.”
The Dynamiters were 2-for-6 on the power play, but MacKay felt it could have created more.
“We got a couple of breaks, but we’re a little too passive on the power play,” he said. “We have to get grittier, get more traffic to the net. We get into the zone well and set up, but we’re just waiting for somebody to take charge there. Right now, it doesn’t seem like we have that guy.”
He said the key is to replicate Foreman’s powerplay marker: plant players like him, Foster or Brennan Romanovitch — players with good hands — near the crease.
The power play was potent Friday, striking three times in Invermere.
MacKay said it was evident the Rockies (4-29-0-1) were lamenting the loss of their top scorer — Darrell Boldon — by trade to Fernie last week.
“Their work ethic wasn’t nearly as strong as it has been, like on Tuesday night (in Kimberley). They suffered from that,” said MacKay.
Foreman scored on the first shift on Friday, and Brett Luker popped one in with five minutes left in the opening frame.
Foreman secured his weekend’s first hat trick with a pair of powerplay goals in the second. His final goal came one second before the intermission.
Defenceman Corson Johnstone had two goals in the third, and Allen another.
Michael Smith made 26 saves in the shutout.
“Going into Columbia Valley, confidence goes up because they’re last in the division, but you can’t take them too lightly,” said Foreman, who had a four-goal game in Invermere earlier this season.
Happy Holidays from the Kimberley Dynamiters
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You can purchase your tickets from Dynamiters Players or Executive members. Also at Dynamiter Home Games at the Guest Services table.
Draw date will be on Sunday, February 14th, 2010 at the Dynamiters Final Regular Season Home Game.
Dynamiter Fan Bus – FernieThe Kimberley Dynamiters and Sun City Coachlines have teamed up to present the Nitros "Fan Bus".The "Fan Bus" gives fans an opportunity to cheer on the Dynamiters as they kick off a home and home series with the Ghostriders in Fernie on Monday, December 28th. This is a great opportunity for fans to take in a home and home series versus one of our biggest rivals.
Cost is $35 and includes transportation to and from Fernie, plus your ticket to the game. The Bus will leave the Civic Centre at 5:00 p.m., Wal Mart Cranbrook at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, December 28th and return right after the game. Tickets must be purchased in advance.
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