Kimberley Dynamiters keep rolling in February

The Dynamiters won their third and fourth games in a row this past weekend as they downed the Golden Rockets, followed by battle victory over the Spokane Braves. As Nolan Kurylo said last week, the Kimberley Dynamiters are righting the ship and coming in hot to the playoffs.

After a knotted first period against the Golden Rockets, Devon Langelaar opened the scoring after the midway point in the second. The Dynamiters restricted the Rockets to nine shots in 40 minutes, but the Rockets would fight back in the third.

Cody Campbell would make 19 saves on the game, as the Dynamiters would add three goals in the third by Nolan Kurylo, George Bertoia and Brandt Bertoia to win the game 4-0. Taking the season series 8-0 over the Rockets, and interestingly enough, shutting the Rockets out in the Golden Arena for all four matches, 240 of shut out hockey.

“The guys played really, really well defensively, it was a well spread out game.” Head coach and general manager said. “We limited their scoring chances, zone entrances, time in our zone. It was probably one of our most complete goals from goal line to goal line.”

Blanking Golden was a short-term goal for the Dynamiters, and they met their goal.

The next task was dealing with the Spokane Braves, an unfamiliar foe that they last met in October.

“It's tough for us. We haven't played them in a while. I think some of our guys just looked at the standings and took for granted how hard they work and how physically strong some of their players are.

“I think some of our guys thought that it was going to be point night. Therefore, we were doing things that we don't normally do.”

And one of those things that they overdid was fancy passing, trying to make the extra play. But the Nitro’s had a 1-0 lead after 20 minutes with a goal by Spokane product Nicholas Ketola. Plus they had fired an astounding 23 shots in the first period.

In the middle period, the Nitro’s staked themselves out a 3-0 lead as B. Bertoia would score on a breakaway and Nic Herringer deflected in a shot. But the Braves showed their tenacity, and responded back. An intense Joe Karpyshyn would score giving the Dynamiters a three-goal lead again, which didn’t last long as the Braves scored again. And this period would end with a score of 4-2.

The Dynamiters wouldn’t score again until their 60^th shot of the game, that’s correct sixty, when Brandt Bertoia would score his second of the game and third of the weekend.

“I feel like both those breakaways was really nice passes by the guys, I'm pretty lucky.” B. Bertoia said after the game, “I don't know if it is coincidence or not, but my parents are in the stands again. They make the trip, got to impress them a little bit.”

The final score would be 5-3 as the Braves would score in the final minute. Affiliate goaltender, Adam Andersen (’00), would make 22 saves for his second win of the season. The Dynamiters also dressed affiliate forward Braiden Koran (’01).

The Dynamiters now focus on playing their last game of the regular season on Friday in Fruitvale against the Beaver Valley Nitehawks before starting their first round of the playoffs against the Fernie Ghostriders on Friday February 24^th.

Photo by Jonathan Righton
Check it out in the Kimberley Bulletin/Cranbrook Townsman