The Squamish Cougars dropped their second straight home game last Friday night (Sept. 29) against the Armstrong Sharks, losing 3-2 The cats were badly outplayed in the first two periods, however the club roared back for an exciting finish before almost 400 fans at the Brennan ParkArena.
The Cougars where out shot 12 to 3 in the second period, and trailed the Sharks 2 - 0 after 40 minutes.In the dying minutes of the second period, local tough guy Kyle Ritchie dropped the gloves and took on Sharks' most talented players, Kristoff Heinze. "It's good to mix it up, get the fans into it, get the players into it, so I thought that was good," said Cougar Head Coach Matt Samson.
On what actually started the fight, Samson recalls an incident from the Cougars' home opener a week earlier.
"[Kristoff's] been a bit chippy. He came in here, our first game, and he shot a puck in the net after the game, after they already won. It's kind of an unwritten rule you don't do that. He gave Kyle a slash, and that's a guy you don't want to slash."
Bobbi Leech scored his second goal of the season for Squamish early in the third to bring the game within one. Armstrong quickly restored its two-goal lead before Nick Johnston to make it 3-2. The Cougars kept the pressure on until the final horn, even calling a time out and pulling goaltender Graham Hallenback for an extra attacker in the final minute.
The game was the World Hockey Association debut for German forward Nils Hanfstingl.
"Nils wanted to come to North America. He is going to have a good year here and maybe look at going to Major Junior next year. We are happy to get him," said Samson.
Currently, the Cougars have 17 players on their roster with room for three more. As for the players already on the team, Samson says he has been most impressed with Leech of Lillooet. "He's our leading scorer right now."
On Sunday (Oct. 1), the Cougars made their first road trip of the season for an afternoon tilt verses the New Westminster Whalers. Squamish lost 6 -1.
"We started out pretty good," said Samson. "We hit a post in the first couple minutes, but then we made a mistake defensively gave up a breakaway and they scored." New West was up 3 - 0 after the first, Squamish scored while enjoying a 5 on 3 power play early in the second, and the Cougars out shot the Whalers 14 - 3 in the second.
But Samson wasn't impressed with his team's effort in the third. With about 10 minutes to go in the last period, New West scored to make it 4 - 1 and the team seemed to fold at that point.
Sixteen-year-old Taylor Scott got his first start of the season in goal Sunday for the Cougars, and Samson isn't ruling out starting him again tonight.
"It will be based on practice this week [who starts tonight]. It will be a game time decision. Right now our number one goalie is Graham, but Taylor's going to get some starts here and there and he's going to push Graham. It's great because they get along so well".
The Cougars will face New Westminster again tonight at Brennan Park, and they will once again confront a goalie with some rather famous roots.
"He's Brett Hull's nephew. He's a Hull. He's played in the OHL (Ontario Hockey League) He's a good goaltender," Samson praised.
Samson promises a strong effort from his team this evening. "We're going to come out and keep hitting them. We need that energy from the crowd again and we'll be fine. We will take them tonight."
