Sports
Sockeyes look to quiet Wolf Pack
The Richmond Sockeyes knew quite some time
ago they’d likely be facing the North Vancouver Wolf Pack in the opening round
of the playoffs. Now that it’s official, both teams are anxious for the games
to begin.
That will start this Thursday (Feb. 15) when
the Sockeyes host the Wolf Pack at 7 p.m. at Minoru Arenas.
“North Van will be a strong competitor, (but)
I believe our team is as ready as we possibly can be,” says Sockeye alumnus
Doug Paterson.
Paterson says the club set out this season to
be in the top four in the province.
“We have balanced scoring on all four lines,
and (goaltender Jacob) Latrace has demonstrated he can be a No. 1, and Hardy
(Hardarshan Hoonjan) very capable to back up. And our defence is strong.”
On paper, at least, the first-round series
has all the makings of a classic. But rarely do these kind of things go
according to script.
While Richmond finished 12 points ahead of
North Vancouver in the regular-season standings, three of the four meetings
between the teams went to overtime.
Richmond sported the third-best penalty
killing average (just over 85 per cent) in the league, while North Vancouver
was fourth-best, killing off an average of just over 83 per cent of its penalties.
Then there are the two captains, Richmond’s
Tyler Andrews and North Vancouver’s Mitch Ledyard. Both centres, they were also
both among the top-10 scorers in the league during the regular season. Andrews
averaged nearly two points a game, while Ledyard averaged just under 1.5 points
per game.
Following Thursday’s playoff opener, the
remaining games in the first-round playoff series are scheduled as follows:
Game 2 Saturday, Feb. 17 at 7 p.m. at Harry
Jerome Rec Centre; Game 3 Monday, Feb. 19 at 7:30 p.m. at Minoru Arenas; and
Game 4 Wednesday, Feb. 21 at 7 p.m. at Karen Magnussen Arena. If needed, Game 5
will be played Thursday, Feb. 22 at 7 p.m. at Minoru Arenas; Game 6 Saturday,
Feb. 24 at 7 p.m. at Harry Jerome Rec Centre; and Game 7 Monday, Feb. 26 at
7:30 p.m. at Minoru Arenas.
SEASON SERIES RECAP
• Sept. 7 Sockeyes 6 Wolf Pack 5 OT at Minoru
Arenas
Captain Tyler Andrews led by example in the
opening game of the season.
The Sockeyes’ forward scored back-to-back
goals midway through the third period, and set up first star Nicolas Bizzutto
for the equalizer and winner as Richmond rallied from a 5-2 deficit after 40
minutes. Winning goalie Jacob Latrace made 14 saves, and also got in on the
scoring, passing the puck up to Tyler Paterson on the game’s opening goal at
2:25 of the first period.
• Oct. 14 Sockeyes 6 Wolf Pack 5 OT at Harry
Jerome Rec Centre
North Vancouver got an early lead and went
4-for-8 on the powerplay, but couldn’t hold off another Richmond rally.
After being outscored 4-1 in the opening
period, the Sockeyes scored the only two goals of the middle frame including a
shorthanded tally by captain Tyler Andrews, who also earned a pair of assists
in the game. Braeden Gurney forced overtime with a goal at 14:36 of the third
period, before Brett Gelz scored the winning goal at 1:41 of the extra frame to
complete a hat trick.
Rookie goaltender Hardarshan Hoonjan stopped
18 of 19 shots, after coming on in relief of starter Evan McCune.
• Nov. 9 Wolf Pack 2 Sockeyes 1 OT at Minoru
Arenas
The third meeting of the season between
Richmond and North Vancouver resulted in, you guessed it, another overtime. But
this time, the Wolf Pack prevailed.
Though Richmond outshot North Vancouver 35-24
in the game, the latter got a pair of goals from Mitch Ledyard (the equalizer
late in the third period and the winner 35 seconds into OT) to earn the two
points.
• Feb. 3 Sockeyes 8 Wolf Pack 0 at Harry
Jerome Rec Centre
Richmond outshot North Vancouver 37-13, and
scored early and often, to win the final regular-season game between the two
teams.
Once again, Sockeyes’ captain Tyler Andrews
led the way giving Richmond a 2-0 lead with goals at 10 seconds and again at
3:26 of the first period.
Jacob Latrace earned the shutout.