The Kimberley Dynamiters had their first taste of action on Tuesday as the traveled to Creston to play the Thunder Cats in their first preseason game.
Head coach and general manager Derek Stuart said that the first exhibition was an extension of camp.
"It's more of an evaluation process extending from camp. It is an opportunity for the players that we are unsure of, to see them in a game against opposition instead of friends and teammates."
There were only a handful of returning players in the lineup: Harrison Risdon, Nick Ketola, James Rota, James Farmer, and Brett Roberts. The Nitro's did start a 20 year old goalie, Dalyn Haire, from Grand Prairie, AB.
The first period was a one-one draw, with the Nitro's only goal coming from Ketola.
However, the offensive floodgates opened for both teams during periods two and three.
Five goals were scored in the middle frame. Unfortunately due to a scattered webcast and no post-game boxscore, it was difficult to identify the goal scorers. Nonetheless, it was 4-3 for Creston after 40 minutes.
The Dynamiters then exploded in the third frame scoring four goals, to the Creston's two, to take the game 7-5. Three goal scorers were identified: Braiden Koran, Austin Lawson, and Erik Delaire.
The shots, surprisingly, were lopsided in the Cats favor, 45-21. Haire made 40 saves to help the Nitro's win their first pre-season game.
Thunder Cats head coach, Brad Tobin told Above the Ice after the game that he wasn't surprised by the scrambled play seen during the first pre-season game.
The Dynamiters play their next exhibition game at home on September 5th against the Creston Valley Thunder Cats, and Stuart expects that the roster will be closer to the opening day roster for the game.
No comments:
Post a Comment