The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
The whistle blew and nearly 800 fans cheered on the Flin Flon Bombers Wednesday night at the Whitney Forum as they took on the Battlefords North Stars. Unfortunately for them, the Bombers would end up on the losing end of the 3-1 score after battling their opponents for three periods. The home side had 24 shots on goal in the first period alone, but they were unable to get any pucks past Battlefords goaltender Ryan Kerpan. Calvin Bartel (35) played between the pipes for the Bombers. The 784 fans in attendance saw 10 penalties throughout the first period - six of them belonging to the Bombers. The first and only goal of the period was scored by North Star Cory Demko and was assisted by Jesse LeBreton. Time of the goal was 14:54. The Bombers got things started in the second period after only 2:25 minutes of play. Captain Dennis Kubat (39) scored the one and only goal for the Bombers of the night. It was assisted by Michael Young (6) and Pierre-Luc Boucher (44). Aside from that lone goal, the rest of the period was filled with penalty minutes and shots on net. The Bombers had another 18 shots on the North Stars, while Battlefords only managed four shots on Bartel. The third period was a closer match, as far as shots on goal goes. The North Stars managed seven, while the Bombers had eight. Battlefords broke the 1-1 tie with a goal after 7:43 of play. It was scored by Barrett Penner and was unassisted. Penalties were low in the third period, with Flon Flon heading the box only once. With 15 seconds left in the game, coach Mike Reagan called a time-out with hopes of a new strategy. The puck got away from the defence, with only 6.6 seconds left in the game, leaving an open net and a chance for the North Stars to score a final goal for the night. Coach Reagan says he's not disappointed with the effort of the guys, just in the outcome. "We dominated the game with 50 shots on net, but we only had one goal," he says. The lack of scoring, according to Reagan, left the team frustrated. "They had a tight grip on their stick... so they were fighting the puck," says Reagan. Aside from the players, Reagan says it frustrates not only the coaching staff, but also the fans. "But I am pleased with the 50 shots," he says. "It should have been more goals, but I have to give credit to the (Battlefords) goalie." "We'll just have to work on scoring and loose puck rebounds in the next couple of days," says Reagan with hopes of a successful outcome for the SJHL Showcase in Saskatoon, coming up tomorrow and Sunday. "Right now, it's just unexplainable," says Reagan, referring to Wednesday's game. The Bombers were spotted running around town this past weekend. Reagan says it was because the team didn't show up in Melfort for their game last Saturday. "They didn't show up in Melfort so they had to show up on their own time," says Reagan. As far as strategy goes, Reagan says the team will "have to regroup and hope to win in Saskatoon." "We're not panicked, though," says Reagan. "It's the third game in the season, and we've got a good team here."
