After several decent efforts, the 麻豆社国产Wolf Pack took a step backward, losing 5-3 to the Mission Icebreakers on Saturday (Jan. 22) at Brennan Park Arena.
The score flattered the home team, as the game was essentially over after the first period when the Pack fell behind 3-0.
"We really came out flat and just didn't do the things we need to in order to win games," said 麻豆社国产head coach Matt Samson. "The effort level just wasn't there. We didn't look polished and it seemed like some guys were indifferent out there."
It wasn't the strongest game for Wolf Pack goalie Jordan Liem, who allowed goals on the first two shots of the game and allowed five goals on 32 shots. The game featured the return of Mico Dragutinovic, in a Mission jersey, to Brennan Park Arena. "Drago" made an impact, drawing two assists and attracting a lot of attention from his former teammates.
Mission blew the game open in the first, notching three goals and putting a stranglehold on the game. The Pack only managed seven shots in the first, while Mission fired 11 at Liem.
The Pack got on the board in the second, with Jamie Creamore picking up his fourth of the season at 15:50. Matt Bonin and Vitalik Morozov drew the assists on the goal and Samson said the team did elevate its game in the second period.
"We made a bit of a push in the second period but we're just not scoring enough," he said, noting the team is the lowest scoring in the league. "Our top six forwards weren't good enough for us today."
Mission scored an early shorthanded goal in the third, with Jacob Bergeron scoring Squamish's second goal. Cole Briggs and affiliate player Keith Bendall drew the assists on the goal. It was a solid debut for Bendall, who was also named the third star of the game.
Tempers boiled over late in the third as Squamish's Ty Babych dropped the gloves with Mission's Kyle Sherbaty. Connor Cross added a late goal but it simply wasn't enough.
The Pack put forth a good effort but lost to the Richmond Sockeyes 5-2 on Thursday (Jan. 20). They held the highest-scoring team in the Pacific International Junior Hockey League (PIJHL) scoreless after one. Liem was spectacular early on, stopping all 11 shots he faced.
Richmond managed to get on the board midway through the second, but Jaret Babych answered five minutes later with his team-leading 12th goal on the season. However, the Pack had no answer for Richmond's Jake Roder, who scored a natural hat trick to seal the win for the Sockeyes. Jacob Bergeron added a late goal for the Pack, who only managed 19 shots on the game.
The loss puts Squamish's record at six wins, 28 losses and four overtime losses. The team will play back-to-back games starting on Saturday (Jan. 29) at home against the Abbotsford Pilots. They take on the Grandview Steelers at the Burnaby Winter Club on Sunday (Jan. 30).
For more information on the team, visit www.squamishwolfpack.com.
