Creston Valley Thunder Cats went into last weekend hoping to come out challenging for first place. But two losses to the Kimberley Dynamiters, one in double overtime, has put the team in last spot in the Eddie Mountain Division.
“We had a very, very poor effort on Friday night,” coach Josh Hepditch said on Monday. “It was very frustrating. We didn’t seem to have anything working for us. There was no work ethic and it was an all-round poor game.”
“Our first period was okay, then it dropped off completely,” he said of a game that ended up in a 4-2 loss in front of the loyal Creston crowd.
Trevor Hanna opened the scoring with the first period’s only goal on a short-handed effort. Kimberley tied the game in the middle frame and three straight goals put the Dynos ahead for good in the third period. A late game goal by Ethan Rusnack proved to be too little, too late.
A much better effort on Saturday night in Kimberley helped the Cats take the home team into double overtime before surrendering the winning goal in a 3-2 game.
“It was a very good game by us,” Hepditch said. “We rebounded very well from Friday’s game. We were outshot 34-31 but we played a very strong game and were unfortunate to lose.
“But excuses only go so far and we need to find a way to win some games,” he said. “I think it’s just a matter of time before we explode in one game and then start to play winning hockey. We’ve had a tough schedule recently, with lots of games on the road against some top teams.”
Darcy Flaherty staked the Cats to a 1-0 first period lead on Saturday. Two second period goals put Kimberley up by one going into the final frame, but Angus Johnston sent the game into overtime by scoring in the first minute of the third period.
Nearly 40 minutes of hockey later, Dynamiter Isaac Schatcher sent the visitors back to their dressing room with what Hepditch described as a questionable goal.
The Thunder Cats get a shot at redemption this Friday night with another home tilt against second place Kimberley. They then head south to Spokane for a Saturday match against the Spokane Chiefs, who sit in fourth place in the KIJHL’s Neil Murdoch Division.
Hepditch said he is extremely pleased with local fan support.
“Our crowds have been very good and we’ve been getting lots of good feedback about this team,” he said.