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.
Though it wasn't always reflected in the scores, the Bombers put up a good fight against the Humboldt Broncos in the Itech Conference Finals. Friday night, the Maroon and Whited dressed for what would be their last game of the season as they hosted the Broncos in game four. Having the closest score of the series (3-2), wasn't enough for the Bombers as they were defeated in the series Ð ending their season. Being down three-games-to-none, the Bombers had a tough night to face. Coming out strong, the team was able to keep the Broncos' scoring to a minimum. Though talk surrounded the Whitney Forum as well as Flin Flon about the Bombers being done before they started, the team Ð players and staff Ð paid no attention and tried to carry out what they were there for. Playing to their ability, head coach and GM Mike Reagan said he knew his team deserved better than what they got. As the game went on it got more and more intense Ð with players always wondering and waiting for the next chance. Reagan said he almost had a heart attack on the bench Friday night. "It was so emotional on the bench. We've got a couple guys, 20-year-olds, who have been with me since the start," said the coach, adding that it was sad to watch at times. "It felt like my last game," he said. "I just wanted it so bad for the guys." With the words emotions and sad being thrown around, Reagan said it was a "tough game to coach." "I'm a very emotional guy and it's tough to see guys go that you care about," said the second year coach. After not playing for a month, Bomber goalie Ryan Kerpan dressed Friday night. With 36 shots coming his way from the Broncos, Reagan said Kerpan "passed with flying colours" when it came to guarding the mesh under pressure. At one point in the third period, the goalie was headed for the bench Ð to give the Bombers an extra body on the ice Ð but the play got turned around and was coming for the Bomber net. Kerpan raced back and dove to make the save. "It was huge," said Reagan, as he gave credit to the goalie. As well as earning credit for some amazing moves, the coach said he also gave credit to the goalie for being able to play that well after being on the bench for a month. In a do-or-die game where he hasn't played for a month, other than getting his feet wet, he gets credit, said Reagan. As the game went on, the Bombers were able to find the back of the net twice Ð first with a goal from Brennan Cox (Mathieu Lecours) and the second from Flin Flonner Tanner Korchinski (Patrick Sitko, Devin Mitzner). As the clock counted down to zero in the third period, there were a few teary-eyed fans as they watched the final moose leg celebration of the season as well as the Bombers and Broncos shake hands after the game. As the Bombers were led into the dressing room by Reagan, assistant coach Trevor Sack and Trainer Jeff (Woody) Woods, some fans waited outside the dressing room to congratulate the team and coaches. Harley Garrioch, captain of the Bombers, said it was a "sad" loss for the team that night. "We deserve a lot better than a sweep," said the Cross Lake native. "It wasn't going our way," he said, noting that "it happens." Looking back at the rest of the season, Garrioch says things went pretty well. "We stayed up in second (place in the Itech Conference) for most of the year," he said. "We played pretty well and had a fun season." As well as the Bombers playing well, Garrioch gave a nod to Reagan as he said for his second year on the bench, the coach did "a pretty good job." Bringing in another name this year, Sack says for his first year coaching a junior team, he thinks the team had a good year. "We had a lot of success this season," he said, noting the streak the young team was on before the playoffs. Agreeing with Garrioch about the end of the series, Sack says the team deserved a better outcome. From the start of the season, the Bombers have prepared themselves to face the Humboldt Broncos in the finals Ð something that wasn't set in stone until recently, but as the season played out it was more evident the teams would face-off again. "We felt we were prepared to play Humboldt because of all the prep all year," said Sack. Looking back to the start of the game, Reagan said there were a few guys who were questioning when the team was going to catch a break. "The guys didn't get rewarded for the effort they put in," said the coach. With the final score of 3-2, Reagan says although he hates to blame the referees, he says there were a lot of calls missed in the first five minutes of the game Ð which gave the Broncos their first goal. Fans shouted their anger at the refs over the Bronco goal as it was a close call whether the net was off before or after the goal. "That first goal cost us," said Reagan. "It put us on our heels right off the bat." As for the series as a whole, Reagan said he thought the Bombers played better as the games went on, but says the layoff hurt the team. The Bombers will join as a team at their annual awards banquet on Friday night.
