The Creston Valley Thunder Cats are tied for third place in the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League’s Eddie Mountain Division, following a weekend that included a loss and two wins.
The Thunder Cats hosted the KIJHL’s second-place Nelson Leafs on Friday, in what head coach Jeff Dubois described as “one of our poorer efforts of the season.”
Creston outshot Nelson 24-23, but scored no goals in the first and second periods, although Nelson scored twice in each. Tyler Fyfe scored twice for the Thunder Cats in the third period, followed by Nelson’s fifth and final goal of the night, for a 5-2 loss.
The situation changed on Saturday when the Thunder Cats hosted the Fernie Ghostriders — who lead the Eddie Mountain Division with 29 points, three ahead of the Kimberley Dynamiters and seven ahead of the Thunder Cats and Golden Rockets — defeating the visiting team 4-0.
With captain Marcel Fuchs, and high-scorers Carson Cartwright and Austin Steger out sick and/or injured, it fell to the line of Connor Kidd, Alec Wilkinson and Justin Post to lead the team, and they did — Wilksinson scored in the first period, assisted by Kidd and Post, and Post scored in the third period, assisted by Wilkinson and Kidd.
“But really, it was a full team effort,” said Dubois.
Late in the third period, Dylan Hogue and Connor Ward (unassisted) scored the Thunder Cats’ final goals of the night.
The Ghostriders outshot the Thunder Cats 34-20, and Dubois also credited goalie Brock Lefebvre with helping his team win.
“Fernie is, no question, a top team in our league — lots of depth and talent offensively,” said Dubois.
Creston hosted the Columbia Valley Rockies — at the bottom of the Eddie Mountain Division with 10 points — on Sunday, heading into their seventh game in 12 days with a low energy level.
“We got outplayed for the most part through the first and second periods,” said Dubois.
Ward scored the Thunder Cats’ first goal in the first period, and the Rockies edged past Creston with two goals in the second.
“Things weren’t really going our way in terms of making the nice plays,” said Dubois.
Nicholas Kovacik tied the score with 1:30 remaining in the third period, sending the game into overtime. With 1:53 left in the second five-minute period, Lien Miller-Jeannotte scored the game-winner.
“Given the amount of games we played over two weeks, we were just pleased to get the result,” said Dubois.
The Thunder Cats will enjoy a lighter schedule this weekend, hosting the Spokane Braves on Friday and visiting the Rockies on Saturday.
Dubois hopes the result will be different than last time, when the Braves beat the visiting Thunder Cats 3-0.
“They’ve got a really fast, skilled team,” he said. “Hopefully the motivation level will be high to give them one back.”
This will be the Thunder Cats’ third game this season against the Rockies, and although Columbia Valley is at the bottom of the division, both pervious games went into overtime.
“We’re expecting tight games against them now,” said Dubois. “They’re a team that’s trying to play catch-up again.”