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.
They lost it in the Northern Division Final last year, but the Flin Flon Bombers had hoped to rekindle their fire against the Humboldt Broncos. But the SJHL champs were on top of the game Wednesday night at the Whitney Forum and the Maroon and White couldnÕt keep up. The champs took the BomberÕs down 4-0. ÒWe definitely came out flat,Ó says head coach and GM Mike Reagan. ÒI donÕt know if we are in awe of Humboldt, but the game was not what we were expecting. ÒWe looked like we had no jump at all.Ó With over 700 fans in the crowd, the Bombers tried to get their game going, but were unable to. ÒI thought we just fell behind and werenÕt able to generate any momentum. It seemed like we had no flow,Ó says Reagan. And with no flow to the game, passes were missed and the systems play was weak, says the coach. Many players, before a game, visualize how the game is going to be played, but Reagan says as a bench boss, that doesnÕt really happen. ÒNo,Ó he says, ÒI mean I guess in a way you visualize how the game goes.Ó But WednesdayÕs game wasnÕt about wasnÕt about visualization. ÒWe knew Humboldt was a good team on special teams,Ó he says. ÒWe knew they had good speed. ÒThe game was everything we expected from them. Our guys just didnÕt show up tonight. ÒItÕs plain and simple.Ó From their last pre-season game until WednesdayÕs game, the Bombers have been playing at home. But tonight the team travels to Melfort, to take on the Mustangs. ÒI think maybe we need to get out on the road,Ó says Reagan. ÒWeÕve been home quite a bit.Ó As the team prepares for their road game, the coach says they play a different hockey game when in another barn. ÒYou have to keep the game simple. You canÕt be fancy,Ó he says. During WednesdayÕs game, as the Bombers were down 3-0, Reagan put Ryan Kerpan in the net for the first time. And as his first action as a Bomber, the coach Òthought he played pretty well.Ó Which Reagan expected. What wasnÕt expected was the record the team held following the game Ð 2-2-0. ÒItÕs not where we thought we would be, but we knew the last three games were going to be tough games,Ó says the bench boss. In hopes of making it 3-2-0, the Bombers are in Melfort tonight. As the Bombers hosted Humboldt Wednesday and the Weyburn Red Wings over the weekend, the team will be taking a step down in calibre as they play the Mustangs. ÒWeyburn and Humboldt are two of the top teams in the league,Ó he says. ÒMelfort is young and inexperienced. ÒBut so are we with the lineup we have now...and with the injuries. WeÕve got a young lineup and need to learn how to win as a team and learn how to compete.Ó See 'Sum...' on pg. Continued from pg. The following is s summary from Wednesday nightÕs game against the Humboldt Broncos: There was only one goal in the first period as the Broncos started their scoring off. Calvin Bartel saw only five shots in the first period, while the Bombers only fired off four to Jeff Holloway. A few penalties were called in the first period for both teams as the Bombers were called on roughing, slashing and interference, while the Broncos were in for boarding and hooking. The second period, with the clock reading 1-0 for the visitors, had the Bombers trying to get the puck out of their end and into the Bronco net. The team was unable to get past Holloway with their five attempts on net. Bartel was in net for the majority of the period, but after letting in two more goals, Kerpan was thrown into the mix. With the score sitting at 3-0, the Broncos were able to get past the new addition to the Bomber team, but just once. It was the end of the second period and the scoring was done. With a score of 4-0, the Bombers tried to get past the Broncos just once, but were unable. By the end of the second period, the Bombers had been put into the sin bin for holding, roughing, fighting and hooking. In the same time frame, the Broncos had been called on interference, tripping and fighting. The third period had the Bombers trying their hardest to get the puck into the Bronco net. But their five shots didnÕt make the difference. The last 20 minutes of play saw a number of penalties for both teams, which heard a number of calls from the crowd. With chants of ÒWe want a refÓ from the stands, the Bombers were given two counts of hit to the head, three roughing calls, a game misconduct and a 10-minute misconduct. The Broncos also were sent to the box for interference, four counts of roughing, a hit from behind, unsportsmanlike conduct and a game misconduct. The Bombers travel to Melfort tonight for the Mustangs. See WednesdayÕs paper for details.
