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.
Looking at the standings, the Bombers had a easy win ahead of them Sunday night. But the Maroon and White came out and treated it like any other game as they hammered the league-worst Battlefords North Stars 6-2. Though it wasnÕt an intense game, head coach and GM Mike Reagan says it was still a win. ÒWe are happy with the outcome,Ó says Reagan. ÒNot every game is going to be intense, but you have to be able to execute and take the two points.Ó And that they did. Last Thursday the Bombers were in La Ronge to take on the Ice Wolves, but came up short in a shootout. With both teams walking away with a point, Reagan said that was better than nothing. ÒAnytime you can get a point on the road, you have to be happy,Ó he says. But it was SundayÕs game at the Whitney Forum that gave the Bombers both of the points up for grabs. And to get those points, the Bombers dished out a good effort, in the coachÕs view. ÒWe played pretty close to it,Ó says Reagan, referring to the full 60 minutes. ÒThis team is too young not to be playing a full 60 minutes.Ó While the Bombers showed up, the coach said he didnÕt think the North Stars were there 100 per cent. ÒI thought we were in complete control in the third and they didnÕt seem to want to be here at that point,Ó said Reagan. ÒSo we were pretty pleased with that.Ó The Bombers fired off 12 shots in the third period, while Ryan Kerpan had only one shot come his way for the full 20 minutes. Reagan says anytime a team holds their opponents to one shot on net, itÕs a good period. ÒItÕs a good start, but our next three games are really important,Ó he says, referring to the double-header this weekend against the Yorkton Terriers and the game in Melfort next week. The Bombers have been splitting their double-headers, but with Yorkton in town this weekend, Flin Flon is going to have some serious preparations to do. ÒWeÕve just got to show up and compete both nights,Ó says Reagan. It seems the team is focused one night but not the next, he says. But that canÕt be the frame of mind anymore. ÒWe have to think of it as not playing Yorkton back to back, but playing two hockey games we need to win,Ó says Reagan. Sunday marked the beginning of a new month for the Bombers and with a 1-1 record, itÕs a good start. ÒWe have to have a big month,Ó said Reagan. ÒWe were one game above the .500 mark in the first two months and we need to be four or five games above at the end of the month. ÒAnd the upcoming games give us a good opportunity to do that.Ó The following is a summary of SundayÕs game between the Bombers and the North Stars: Kerpan led the Maroon and White onto the ice for their first game of the month. Flin Flon didnÕt waste any time as Alex Lamontagne scored his first of three goals against Adam Bartko with help from Reid McLeod and Tommy Castonguay with just over a minute played. Having BartkoÕs shutout broke early on, the North Stars came back to Kerpan with a shot from blueliner Dominic Perrault to tie things up at 5:45. The majority of the period was spent in the North StarsÕ end, where the Bombers fired off shot after shot in hopes of another goal. And with 49.6 seconds left in the period, Castonguay lit the lantern, breaking the tie with help from McLeod and Lamontagne. All in all, the Bombers fired off nine shots while Kerpan saw six. The second period was a killing for the Bombers as they scored three more goals, two of which came before the North StarsÕ one. First up, David Lawrence earned his point after being fed by Brennan Cox and Cole Gibson. Then Lamontagne scored his second of the night with help from his trusty linemates Castonguay and McLeod. Kerpan was beat by Perrault for the teamÕs second and final goal of the night late in the second period. But no worries for the roughly 800 Bomber fans in the barn, as Lamontagne earned his hat trick with a goal just under the one minute mark after being fed by Cox and Harley Garrioch. The second period offered 14 shots from the Bombers and 10 on Kerpan. The third period, in which Reagan said the North Stars gave up, had Devin Mitzner lighting the lantern with help from Dominic Martel and Matt Lecours. And it was an easy third period for Kerpan as he saw the puck only once while the Bombers fired off 12. Throughout the game, both teams were given a few minor penalties for elbowing, tripping, hooking, boarding, roughing after the whistle, holding, high sticking and cross checking. As well, Doug McLeod and Jess Valleau were given five minutes for fighting. The Bombers host the Yorkton Terriers this weekend in a double-header before heading to Melfort to play the Mustangs on November 12.
