Special to the Review
By Andy Siegel
With ski season right around the corner, many new faces filled the Revelstoke Forum to watch the Grizzlies lose 4-3 to the Kimberley Dynamiters in one of the most exciting games so far of the KIJHL 2023-24 season.
It was a fast-paced game with the home squad dominating in shots on goal, 15-4, in the first period, but trailing 1-0 on the score sheet at the first period.
The middle period did not get any better for the Grizzlies. The home team gave up two goals in a matter of minutes, digging themselves into a deep hole.
Kimberley’s Parker Konneke notched two of the three goals.
Despite the deficit on the scoreboard, the packed Forum would not give up on their support, getting louder with each crunching body check.
Towards the end of the second period, at 17:56 on a power play, Revelstoke finally got the break they desperately needed when Jeff Patola scored with assists from Jake Neufeld and Alexander Bronswyk to break the shutout.
With the home crowd still celebrating, the Grizzlies kept applying pressure which led to David Ander rifling a shot from the left side that found the back of the net at 18:33. Assists on the score again were awarded to Neufeld and Bronswyk.
After late back-to-back goals, the Forum crowd had a renewed energy going into the third period.
The final 20 minutes resembled a dogfight for the first half with both teams skating extremely hard trying to score the all-important next goal.
Both goaltenders played outstanding, generating key saves.
At 9:11 on a flip pass over the Grizzlies defenseman’s glove, the puck was scooped up off the left side boards by Dynamiters’ Tristan Weill who snapped a lightning quick shot into the upper corner of the net quieting the arena.
Not to be discouraged, Revelstoke roared right back with a goal of their own at 11:51 as Farris Meddeb found a bouncing puck in the slot shooting it in the net bringing the home crowd to their feet once more.
Neufeld and Bronswyk notched their third assists of the contest.
Kimberley held on defensively and pushed back against an intense effort by the Grizzlies to score the equalizer. With just seconds left on the clock, Colton McLeod released a terrific low shot on goal that had the Dynamiters bench holding their breath but the puck bounced off their goaltender’s pads.
The Grizzlies will be home for the next week until their next game at the Forum Friday, Dec. 1, facing off against the North Okanagan Knights.
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