Last week, the KIJHL regular season schedule resumed following the Xmas break and, as we head into the New Year, the action will be heating-up as all teams begin to bear down for positioning in the standings. The Eddie Mountain Division continues to be tough, close and exciting each and every contest, with all teams in the division currently above .500 for the season.
The month of January will be a huge determining factor, as all the teams will be looking to prevail in the inter-divisional “four-point” matchups. We can be certain to witness plenty of high-flying action, with Eddie Mountain Divisional players, at present, holding down 7 out of the top 10 scoring positions in the league.
Things in the New Year get underway tomorrow when the Kimberley Dynamiters march into town. The Rockets suffered a bit of a slide in December, and will be looking to get back on the winning track quickly. They currently hold down third place with 36 points.
Of special note for tomorrow’s game: The KIJHL’s top two scoring defensemen will be in action, with Rocket’s Ethan Aebly and the Nitro’s Cam Reid controlling their bluelines.
A quick glance at last weekend’s action……….
Saturday, Dec.31st, 2022 Rockies 7 Rockets 3
The contest featured the two highest-scoring clubs in the KIJHL going head-to-head once again. For the third game in a row in December, the Rockets tangled with division-leading Columbia Valley, and were looking to grab an elusive win. But once more, Golden came out a bit short at the buzzer.
The Invermere powerplay proved to be a huge difference in the game. The southern neighbours grabbed a 2-0 lead on goals by Teo Fath and Lucas De La Salle (powerplay) in the opening period, despite the play being fairly even.
In a penalty-filled middle frame, Golden’s Nick Morin sandwiched a marker between infractions at 12:20 (his 16th of the year) to cut the lead in half. However, a pair of powerplay goals from Kayde Kinaschuk and Jordan Normand moved the score to 4-1.
Rockets carried most of the play at the start of the third period, and stormed back with two tallies from Jordan Lario and Dominic Fiorentino to slice the margin to 4-3.
That score held until Columbia Valley caught fire, and banged home three goals in the final three minutes of the period, to take an eventual 7-3 win.
The Golden Junior Hockey Society wishes to send along very best wishes to all of our fans, for a Healthy, Happy and Prosperous 2023!!
