Tuesday was a busy day for Kimberley Dynamiters Head Coach
and General Manager Derek Stuart. First priority was the game against the
Golden Rockets. Second was dealing with the surprise return of two players from
their Junior A clubs, forcing Stuart to make roster moves.
The Kimberley Dynamiters roster were at full capacity, 25
skaters, when Stuart learned that defencemen Devon Langelaar (97) and Tyler Van
Steinburg (98) were returning to the team, joining recently returned George
Bertoia (98) on the back end.
“George and Tyler were big contributors to the team last
year. Langelaar improved as the year went on.
“We are looking for big things from all three of them.
George has already made his presence known in the past two games that he has
played.”
The Dynamiters sent forward Donte Nowell (98) and defenceman
Connor Sullivan (98) to the Grand Forks Border Bruins (3-2-1-0) for future
considerations to make room.
This left Caymen Froude (99) as a ninth defenseman on the
depth chart, and for the betterment of his development he was returned to is
midget club, the Sunshine Coast Blues.
Stuart struggled with the transactions, “It’s very tough,
it’s the not fun part of my job is moving kids like that. Definitely not a fun
time. These were out of my control; the players came back. I had to make some
room.”
Despite all the roster moves, the Nitro’s still had a game
to play against the Golden Rockets.
The Dynamiters were able to carry their energy from the
third period on Saturday against Golden as Franco Colapaolo opened the scoring
at the nine-minute mark.
The Dynamiters had an excellent start to the game, as
Nicholas Ketola and Colapoala added two more goals during the second, taking a
3-0 lead in the first 40 minutes.
Stuart was really happy with the performance in the first
two periods, “We started out great, it was our best first period of the season.
In the second, we stepped it up another level. We controlled the play and the
puck possession.”
However, injuries, contentment, and misconducts began taking
their toll on the team, as they were down to nine forwards and four defencemen
in the last frame, including having James Farmer playing defence.
“The third period was our worst period in the game. I
attribute part of that to a little bit of fatigue and a little bit of
complacency with a 3-0 lead, and outshooting them.
“I think the guys took the foot off the pedal, which is
something we can’t do. We ended up shutting the door when it mattered most in
the last three minutes and got another win.”
Colapaolo scored the insurance marker in the final minute, his
hat-trick goal, as the Dynamiters downed the Rockets 4-2.
“Franco was great. He was our hardest working forward, he
got rewarded for his actions.” An impressed Stuart said.
“That is what we have been stressing here with the team is
focusing on your actions and you will get good results. And he was definitely a
benefactor of that.”
Ruslan Katsnelson was in net and made 20 saves for his
fourth win of the season.
The Dynamiters now shift their focus to Saturday when they
face the league leading, undefeated Creston Valley Thunder Cats (6-0-0-0).
“We will start looking at some film and start preparing for
Creston. I don’t think we will have to do too much motivating within the
dressing room. They are undefeated and the heavy favourites coming in Saturday.
Our guys are pretty hungry.”
Game starts at 7pm at the Kimberley Civic Centre.
Match Sticks: Langelaar
and Van Steinburg are expected to make their returning debuts Saturday. The
injury bug has hit the Nitro’s: Van Den Busch (day-to-day), Kendall (2-3
weeks), Salverda (3-5 weeks).
Photo by Jonathan Righton
Published in the Kimberley Bulletin/Cranbrook Townsman
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