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.
Going in with confidence paid off for the Bombers as they defeated the Yorkton Terriers 3-2 with a third period goal from Mathieu Lecours last Friday at the Whitney Forum. Flin Flon held the lead going into the second period but lost it quickly as Yorkton found the back of the net after only 44 seconds of play. Keeping in tune with the game, the Bombers stayed on top of the Terriers and kept the puck in their end for the majority of the game. Assistant coach Trevor Sack says he thought the team played a solid game Ð with a few surprises thrown in. ÒI thought we played a good first period,Ó says Sack, noting that the team seems to be stuck in a trend for the time being. ÒWe have one great (period) and then we think we can coast (through the rest of the) game,Ó he says. ÒAnd in the second period, our eyes open.Ó Sack says the third period helped the team get back on track. ÒWe decided to pull up our socksÓ and do what needed to be done to win.Ó Before the weekend got started, head coach and GM Mike Reagan made a point of saying the team wasnÕt looking at the weekend as a double-header series, but as two hockey games they needed to win. With that being said, Sack says that didnÕt shake the Bombers are they were confident and calm going into the game. ÒWe were very confident,Ó he says. ÒWe have to keep it up...and not let it slip.Ó But at the same time, he says the team fought hard to get the win. The Bombers came out strong in the first period with two goals, which helped in the teamÕs overall goal Ð winning hockey games. ÒWe couldnÕt win both hockey games if we didnÕt win tonightÕs game,Ó Sack said after FridayÕs game. As the team settled in with their 3-2 victory over the Terriers, Sack says they still had to concentrate on SaturdayÕs game. ÒItÕs going to be a different,Ó said the assistant coach, noting there would be a Òdifferent mentalityÓ as well. As many double-header weekends point out, the traveling team tends to come out with a different game on the second night, as they are rested. But Sack didnÕt see think the Terriers were going to show anything different from what the Bombers saw Saturday. ÒI expect the same Yorkton team tomorrow night and have to grind them out again,Ó he said. And speaking of grinding out, the Bombers kept their game going Friday night. ÒOur forecheck was amazing,Ó says Sack. ÒWe followed our systems...and when we do that, there are not a lot of teams who can combat (us). ÒWe are a young skating team and when we have our legs, no one can touch us,Ó he says. Before Friday, the Bombers had not played a game since Sunday, which saw them defeat the Battlefords North Stars 6-2. See 'The' on pg. Continued from pg. So the Maroon and White had a few good practices in before challenging the Terriers. ÒWe had a really tough Monday,Ó says Sack. ÒWe worked them hard Monday and Tuesday and had a good week of preparation for Yorkton. ÒIt was a great week of practice.Ó Approaching the mid-season mark, Sack says the team is looking pretty good. ÒThe boys are ready to go and they are in mid-season form,Ó he says. The following is a game summary from FridayÕs game between the Bombers and the Terriers: Reid McLeod got the scoring going in the first four minutes of the game in front of nearly 900 fans at the Whitney Forum on a power play. With help from David Lawrence and Jean-Sebastien Bergeron, McLeod made his way past Joel Danyluk for the goal. The Bombers were able to keep the puck in the TerrierÕs end for the majority of the period, which helped Lawrence earn the second goal for the team Ð with help from Tommy Castonguay and Bergeron Ð nearing the 11 minute mark on another power play. Both teams were given a few minor penalties. And Ryan Kerpan stood strong for the Bombers as he turned away nine shots from the Terriers, while the Maroon and White handed off 11 to Yorkton. As Sack said, the Bombers had their eyes opened in the second period as the Terriers earned their first goal of the game in 44 seconds of the second 20 minutes of play. KerpanÕs shutout was broken, making it 2-1, which was soon tied at two apiece as the Terriers got past Flin Flon for the second time. One net was on fire for both teams as the end of the second period was tied 2-2, with the third period going to be curtail for the Bombers and Terriers. Kerpan knocked away six of the teamÕs eight shots, while the Bombers fired off 11. The third period was a tell-tale story for the Bombers as Lecours found the back of the net nearing the 10 minute mark Ð scoring the last goal of the game. And it wasnÕt even until the end of the period when Kerpan even had the puck near him Ð which only resulted in four shots on net. The Bombers hosted the Terriers for game two Saturday, but were unable to get the win. The Bombers split another double-header Ð earning two points out of a possible four.
