Konrad Sander walked out of the Brennan Park Arena for the last time in his junior hockey career as a winner. Sander and the Delta Ice Hawks defeated the 麻豆社国产Wolf Pack 8-3 on Saturday (Feb. 12).
The Squamish-born forward picked up an assist in the win and said it was nice to get one last opportunity to play in his hometown.
"It's always great to come home and play in front of friends and family," he said. "But at the start of the year I definitely didn't expect to be wearing an Ice Hawks jersey in Squamish."
Sander was dealt to Delta from 麻豆社国产on Jan. 10 and said he has fit in well on the second-best team in the Pacific International Junior Hockey League (PIJHL).
"It's been a pretty good fit so far," he said. "It was a pretty big transition and it's such a different team than Squamish. We're really offensive and have three lines that can score, but I think I'm fitting in pretty good."
He added that he likes Delta's chances in the postseason.
"I think we're pretty confident heading into the playoffs," he said, noting that it looks like Delta will be matched up with Grandview in the first round. "We've got a good chance to go deep."
Going deep into the playoffs is not in the cards for the Wolf Pack, whose losing streak reached eight games with Saturday's loss. The Pack sports a record of one win and 11 losses in the 2011 calendar year but did put up a fight against Delta.
"I thought we played 50 good minutes of hockey but that's not enough against a great team like Delta," said associate coach Phil Kinninmont. "We're a young and tentative team and we just don't know how to play with a lead yet."
麻豆社国产jumped out to a 3-0 lead midway through the first period with goals from Gray Meckling, Dean Wilson and Brady Bjornson. But Delta seemed to wake up after falling behind 3-0, eventually scoring eight unanswered goals, including three in the final five minutes of the game.
Despite the loss, Kinninmont noted that affiliate players Anthony Conti and Squamish-born defenceman Dylan Mooney impressed him.
"Conti played pretty well tonight and made a few big hits," he said. "And I think Mooney has a world of upside. Give him a few years and he could be a hell of a defenceman."
The Pack also lost on Friday (Feb. 11), dropping a 5-3 decision to the Aldergrove Kodiaks. Scoring for 麻豆社国产were Matt Bonin, Benjamin McWilliams and Jamie Creamore.
With the pair of losses, 麻豆社国产now has a record of six wins, 34 losses and four overtime losses. The Pack will conclude its 2010-11 season on Saturday (Feb. 19) when the Grandview Steelers come to town. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:15 p.m.
