The Kitimat Ice Demons faced off against the Williams Lake Stampeders Nov. 25, resulting in a challenging 3-6 loss on home ice.
In the first period, the Ice Demons struck first as Tayden Fowler Mcnabb found the back of the net at 12:15, with Maddox Madeiros and Josh Salanina providing assists.
Kitimat extended their lead in the second when Derek Wakita scored at 7:24, thanks to the teamwork of Terry Whelan and Brandon Maag. However, Williams Lake quickly retaliated, with Andrew Hodder notching an unassisted goal at the 8:00 mark. The Stampeders continued their offensive push, with goals from Everett Rasmussen at 15:10 and Jaydon Merritt at 18:11, ending the period with a Stampeder dominance of 3-2.
Williams Lake maintained their momentum in the final period with Brendan Pigeon wasting no time, scoring just 23 seconds into play, assisted by Cole Zimmerman and Marcus Myatovic. Corbin Marcotte added to the Stampeders’ lead minutes later with assists by Jaydon Merritt and Kurtis Bond. A short-handed goal from Marcus Myatovic, with an assist from Cam Flinton, further solidified the Stampeders’ dominance. The Kitimat Ice Demons managed to add one more goal to their tally when Ben Gillis scored at 10:44, assisted by Dane Schrier, for a 3-6 final.
Despite multiple opportunities with the man advantage, both teams were unable to capitalize on the power plays. Williams Lake had six chances, while Kitimat had five.
In the goaltending department, Kitimat’s Zack Straza faced 28 shots and made 25 saves, while Williams Lake’s Boden Derbyshire confronted 49 shots and made an impressive 43 saves.
Penalties played a significant role in the game, with the Williams Lake Stampeders accumulating 14 penalty minutes on seven infractions, while the Kitimat Ice Demons faced 26 penalty minutes on nine infractions.
Ice Demons vs Kangaroos
In a game packed with powerplays, the Kitimat Ice Demons clinched a thrilling overtime victory on home ice against the Quesnel Kangaroos Nov. 26.
The match kicked off with an explosive start by the Kangaroos as Brett Mero, with assists from Chad Kimmie and later from Levon Johnson and Bryan Allbee, dominated the first period, scoring three goals, including two during power plays. Byron Sam also contributed with a power play goal, taking full advantage of the Ice Demons’ numerous infractions.
The Ice Demons’ Deckland Steward initiated the comeback with a power play goal 15-minutes in, ending the period ina dissapointing 1-4 deficit, but setting the stage for a dramatic comeback.
Tayden Fowler Mcnabb’s led the charge with a shorthanded goal just 25 seconds into play, with contributions from John Aikens and Derek Wakita. Deckland Steward and John Aikens added two more points to tie things up for Kitimat, before the Kangaroos’ Bryan Alibee brought his team back into the lead with just seven seconds remaining in play.
The third period started with the Kangroos jumping ahead further as Brody Ward Dyck, with an assist from Bryan Allbee, found the net at 10:38. However, the Ice Demons were not out yet. Terry Whelan, receiving assists from Ben Gillis and Izaak Velho, scored for Kitimat at 16:18, and as the clock ticked down, Tayden Fowler Mcnabb, assisted by Terry Whelan and Josh Salanina, managed to equalize the score with a crucial goal at 19:37, sending the match into overtime
Derek Wakita emerged as the hero of the game, with assists from Tayden Fowler Mcnabb and Terry Whelan, clinching the win with a power play goal four minutes into overtime play for a 7-6 final.
Goalies on both sides had a busy night, with Colton Macaulay of Quesnel saving 42 of 49 shots, while Boden Derbyshire of Kitimat saved 45 of 51 shots. The game was marred by numerous penalties, with the Kangaroos racking up 26 minutes on 12 infractions and the Ice Demons 43 minutes on 16 infractions.
Despite the win, Kitimat’s struggle in the league continues as they sit at the bottom of the CIHL West Division with just four points, behind Hazelton (8), Prince Rupert (10) and Terrace (12). Quensel holds last place in the East Division, also with four points, while Williams lake leads with 14 points.
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RETRACTION: In the Nov. 30 issue of The Northern Sentinel we inadvertently ran a 2017 game report on the Ice Demons versus the Rampage, falsely presenting it as a current event. We apologise for this error.