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.
Aside from the usual crowds at the Whitney Forum, the Bombers were cheered on by their family members and billets as it was parent's weekend for the team. Hosting the Estevan Bruins for a pair of games, the families were treated to what ended up being a very successful weekend Ð with a 5-2 win and a 4-2 win. Friday night, the two teams faced off but it was evident early on that the Bombers had the game in the bag. After the first period, the Bombers were up 2-0 over the Bruins. With goals from Dougie McLeod at 6:43 (Michael Young) and Mathieu Lecours at 15:16 (Patrick Sitko and Devin Mitzner), it was clear the team was turning their game around. Starting off the season, the Bombers had trouble playing the first period Ð which led to a few losses. But as of late, the team has been able to turn the corner. Head coach and GM Mike Reagan says "we were losing games because of the first period and now we're starting to score a few goals in the first. It allows you to gain some momentum when you score in the first period." "I think we've done a better job of it as late and we've been playing a lot better defensively, so it's a combination of a couple things," he says. The team used the momentum gained from their first two goals and carried it through to earn three more goals. Along with the momentum, the team gained confidence, which is important, as is working together. "You've got to motivate them to come back and when you are playing catch-up hockey, you can only do that for so long before it's going to bite you in the you know what," says the coach. Another important part of the game is being able to stay focused. Reagan says the players, like anyone else, can lose their focus Ð but they have to be able to find a way to get it back on track. With players who range in age from 18 to 20, he says the Whitney Forum is a tough place to play. To get the team refocused, it's all about practice. "You don't have time to take a split second to think 'where am I supposed to be?' "It's got to be something that just happens naturally." The more a team practices, he says, the more that becomes natural. "We've been focusing on our systems a little bit more and I think it's starting to sink in." With the team on the same page, Friday's game ended with a few fights and a few rough patches. The coach says he expected that would start things off for an "intense" Saturday night game. "You've got to be able to come back and be ready to go tomorrow night," he said following Friday's game. "If anything, I think it adds fuel to the fire and the guys are a little sharper knowing that tomorrow night could be a pretty physical battle." In the second period of Friday's game, Estevan was able to get past Matt Weninger Ð who stopped 34 shots from the visitors Ð on a power play. Following the Bruin's goal, Sitko (Mitzner, Lecours) was able to score the Bombers' third goal, and second power play marker of the night. Estevan scored next with another power play goal Ð making the score 3-2 for the Bombers. Widening the gap even more, Mitzner scored his power play goal with help from Lecours and Young. The team's final goal came from David Dykstra (Dominic Martel and Alex Lamontagne) on a power play late in the third period Ð making it 5-2 for the win. Friday's win brought the Bombers recent record to 2-0. The team has been working hard on getting a winning streak going Ð but more importantly, they have been working on winning games at home. Reagan said in his first year as the Bomber coach, the team lost six games at home and last year lost eight games in the Whitney Forum. This season, the coach hopes to see a number under six. "We want to keep it below six. It would be nice and I think we're very capable of doing that." The Bombers went on to win 4-2 the next night against the Bruins to increase their winning streak to 3-0. With the hopes of the start of the season behind them, the coach says the Bombers have worked hard to get where they are today. The team's efforts shone through Friday as they were able to stay on top of the Bruins.
