Barry Coulter
The Creston Valley Thunder Cats are looking back on a highly competitive KIJHL weekend, having taken on top teams from three different divisions, and come away with a possible four of six points.
On Friday, the powerful Princeton Posse came to town, riding high at the top of the Bill Ohlhausen Division with 38 points, meeting the Thunder Cats at the Johnny Bucyk Arena.
The ‘Cats had a tough first period, with the Posse banging in three goals from Dayton Nelson and two from Lucas Sadownyk, with Sadownyk’s second getting past Dario Cantini with only two seconds left in the frame. The Posse took it to the home team offensively, putting 17 shots on Cantini. Just like that, it was 3-0 Princeton.
But Creston took advantage of the power play midway through the second period to get on the board, with Defenceman Riley Kostering’s second goal of season, halfway through a Tyson Horiachka cross-checking penalty. Simon Hamilton and Jace Litoksi assisted on the goal.
Anmol Garche restored Princeton’s three-goal lead early in the third period, but then Creston got its offence going. Goals from Nikolai Morrison and Simon Hamilton suddenly made it a one goal game. But with Cantini on the bench for the extra attacker in the final seconds, Bryton Morrow’s empty net goal put paid to the Creston comeback.
Final score: Princeton 5, Creston 3.
The Posse put a total of 37 shots on Dario Cantini; Creston got 25 away on Princeton netminder Gabe Osmond.
The Thunder Cats were able to put Friday’s loss behind them for the next night’s game against Beaver Valley (third place in the Neil Murdoch Division).
The Nighthawks also got on the board first, with a goal five minutes into the game from Spencer Dixon-Reusz. But Jacob Burnside stopped 11 other shots he faced in the period.
And the Chakrabarti brothers then got the Thunder Cats on top, with Max scoring at the halfway point of the period (with assists from Luke Chakrabarti and Nikolai Morrison) and Luke scoring a minute and a half later (with assists from Max and Tyson Tokarz).
The Nighthawks pressed in a wild second period, but Creston’s defence kept them to the outside by and large, and Burnside stood tall, stopping 13 second period shots. Meanwhile, Creston upped their lead to 4-1, with goals from Bobby Anselmo and Luke Chakrabarti. Lucas Gartner narrowed the gap for the Nighthawks, but Jace Litoski made it 5-2 Creston with only 20 seconds left in the second frame.
Into the third, Roan Crowe tried to ignite a comeback, scoring at 9:18 on the power play, but Taylor Schmideder’s empty net goal sealed the deal for Creston.
Sunday, Dec. 3, saw the Thunder Cats travelling to Invermere, to take on the Columbia Valley Rockies (second in the Eddie Mountain Division).
Creston got its offense going early, but, once again, it was the opponent opening the scoring, with Gage Sather’s shot getting past Jacob Burnside on a Rockies’ power play.
Simon Hamilton answered for the Thunder Cats, and the game was tied going into the second.
Ellis Mcgeough score 1:55 into the second frame, but Luke Chakrabarti netted two in a row, his 16th and 17th of the season, to give Creston the lead.
Wyatt Wurtz scored for the Rockies in the third, and the game was tied at the buzzer. And so to overtime, which solved nothing.
At the shoot-out, Simon Hamilton, Luke Chakrabarti and Max Chakrabarti all hit the back of the net, while at the other end, Burnside was able to stop the Rockies’ Carter Velker on his shoot-out attempt. Shootout ended 3-2 Creston, the game ended 4-3 Creston.
Creston next takes the ice at the Johnny Bucyk on Friday, Dec. 8, hosting the Fernie Ghostriders. The Thunder Cats travel to Kimberley the next night, Saturday, Dec. 9, to take on the Eddie Mountain Division leading Dynamiters.
