WEEK IN REVIEW:
After a comeback trailing two goals, the Flames crawled back to tie a game with the Mission City Outlaws, but the rally wasn't enough as Mission finished off the Flames 4-2
Friday, October 17th, the Ridge Meadows Flames played host to third place Abbotsford Pilots of the Harold Brittain Conference.
The first period was all Flames all the time, seeing a goal from seasoned PJHL veteran Grant Rostvig. Tallying an assist on the goal was affiliated player Marshall Skapski. Skapski has ties with the Medicine Hat Tigers of the WHL, so before he gets snagged up by the junior team, look for him to dawn the Flames uniform a few more times, as he was extremely impressive Friday. The Pilots were quick to capitalize as they tied the game with a goal of their own. The first period saw lots of penalties, but again, Flames did seemingly have the Pilots on their heels throughout the first twenty minutes of play.
It was the opposite in the second period as the Pilots controlled puck possession in the second. With their play, they scored an early power play goal to take the lead. What the Flames were able to do though was capitalize on one of the many opportunities they had in the second, as Andrew Strelezki got his name etched into the score sheet to tie the game at two goals a side.
The third period was a completely back and forth battle. The Flames took three penalties, and the Pilots took four themselves. That extra penalty, draining the penalty killers, may have been the dagger to down the visiting Abbotsford team. The Flames did not score on a power play, but they did score deep into the third period. Captain Danny Wilson showed the crowd why he has the "C" on his chest, as he created room through the middle and sniped the rubber top shelf to claim the lead, and the eventual 3-2 victory for the Flames.
Two straight weeks the Flames have impressed fans, coaches and the opposition with their play at home, and is a sweet sight for many. If the Flames continue their winning ways at home, that will only do positive things to their confidence and team moral. With the win the Flames jump from fifth to a tie for second place in the Harold Brittain conference standings.
As the game ended, I made my way to the locker room to chat with the coaches, but before I could get there, Joe Olson stopped me to see if he'd be mentioned in the weekly blog. And without hesitation, I told him we can chat and throw in some comments.
Here is the full conversation Joe and I had:
Joe Olson Post Game Interview: Friday, October 17th 2014
Olson has been a proven leader on this Flames team, and we still haven't seen the best of him in terms of this season. When you are surrounded by team mates like Olson there is no reason to complain, he leads by example and makes others around him feel welcome.
Next week, Ridge Meadows' only game is against the Port Moody Panthers, and that one will be at home on Friday night. Puck drop is at 7:30 as the Flames look to earn more points and take sole possession of second place.
Adding Fuel to the Flames,
Tyler Lippingwell
