The Kimberley Dynamiters hold off the Creston Valley Thunder Cats for a 4-3 win

This game, while stale at first, turned into that classic children's song, the cat came back, as the Thunder Cats showed resiliency in wanting to maintain their position in the standings. However, Kimberley was able to hold off the final attack.

Game Notes

• A healthy turnout for a Tuesday night match, 446.
• The Nitro's were without Richter, Meier, Moser and Doell. Meier started the game, but did not return. So the team played with a short bench.
• Traichevich started against Fennell (appearing in his 4th KI game)

1st

As I noted about stale, there was something slow to the first period. The Cats were really trying to control the pace, almost to a stop. Kimberley took the first penalty of the game. After successfully killing it off, including a nice save by Traichevich, the Dynamiters broke the draw. Marchi took a pass at centre and broke in alone, sniping in the first of the game. Assists to Buhler and Langelaar. The Dynamiters were penalized one more time before the end of the period. Brouwer played just under a minute this period as Traichevich dealt with an equipment issue. Shots were 9-5 Kimberley.

2nd

Didn't take long for the Nitro's to end up in the box, as the #BecauseItsBuckley flooded Nitro Nation. The Dynamiters then got a PP of their own, and Haase snapped a point shot in, assists to Busch and Marchi. But the Cats responded with a goal of their own that awkwardly got past Traichevich with a weird bounce. Marchi stole the show again as he worked to score his second goal of the game, assists to Colapaolo and Wit. Shots in the period were 15-9 Kimberley.

3rd

The Cats got on the board early, making it 3-2 with just under 17 minutes to play. Play on both sides intensified. Buckley gave the Dynamiters a 4-2 lead just before the midway point, assists to Haase and Hunt. Then this is where the officiating, which I felt had been sound, got puzzling. There was a scrum after the play stopped, but the extra activities continued, instead of separating the players or trying to calm them down, the ref kept blowing the whistle, repeatedly, inches away from ears, which is more aggravating and didn't really help ease the scrum. Then after the Cats came back again, making it 4-3. Kimberley was penalized for hooking, a strange call given what else had happened, with three minutes left. As Buckley chased down a skater he was blind sided, didn't see the hit coming, interference was called.... but so was diving on Buckley. #BecauseItsBuckley x2. So Creston kept their late in the period PP. The Nitro's kept pressuring, eating up time, and held on to their 4-3 lead for the victory.

Dynamite Player of the Game

Jared Marchi - 2G 1A. He was a force all over the ice.

Honorable Mentions

Franco Colapaolo - 1A. I lost count of how many take away's and interceptions he got during the game. Great job reading the play and back checking.

Kenaan Haase - 1G 1A

Trevor Van Steinburg - Showing versatility as he played on the back end.

Extra Reading

Boxscore

Taylor Rocca article.