After a 47-game regular season, the second season has arrived!
The Chase Heat finished second in the Doug Birks Division and will enjoy home-ice advantage versus the 100 Mile House Wranglers. Tickets are adults $12, seniors and students $10 and kids under six free. The best of seven series schedule is:
Friday, Feb. 23 – Art Holding Memorial Arena, Chase
Saturday, Feb. 24 – Art Holding Memorial Arena
Monday, Feb. 26 – South Cariboo Rec Center, 100 Mile House
Tuesday, Feb. 27 – South Cariboo Rec Center
* Thursday, March 1 – Art Holding Memorial Arena
* Friday, March 2 – South Cariboo Rec Center
* Saturday, March 3 – Art Holding Memorial Arena
* If necessary
All games, 7 p.m. start.
So the Heat ensured a second-place finish with a win over the Kamloops Storm in Chase on Friday the 16th. No scoring in the first, but Pat Brady on the power play got the party started in the second.
Kamloops tied things up before the end of 40 minutes, but then they were stymied after that.
The Heat banged in a pair in the third from Colton Nikiforuk and Michael Fidanza for a 3-1 victory. Conor Webb closed the door for 52 minutes until he was concussed on a dangerous goaltender interference infraction. Jared Breitkreuz went in for eight minutes to deny the Storm any thoughts of a comeback.
On Saturday the 17th, Chase crawled through a nasty winter blizzard to 100 Mile House to play a meaningless game versus the Wranglers. The Heat scored first, Brady again, but 100 Mile popped a pair for a first period lead.
The teams traded goals in the second, with Evan Hughes doing the honours for Chase. The Cariboo Cowboys added one in the third to claim a 4-2 hollow win. Breitkreuz fended off 42 of 46 to give the Heat a chance.
Odds and sods: Zachary Fournier is the leading scorer for the Heat (20 goals, 39 assists, 59 points), Brady was two points back (20g, 37a, 57pts.).
Fournier was 10th overall in the KIJHL with Brady at 14th, the top scoring defenceman in the league. Grady Musgrave finished 15th in the sin bin with 132 minutes. Kaden Black popped in 25 goals to lead the Heat in that category.
The Heat finished third overall on the power play and 11th on the penalty kill.
Chili and Chilly: The arena is chilly, but the Chilli Areena Cantina Girls are celebrating National Chili Day on Friday at Game 1. Come early and enjoy chili and a bun for $5, or a $7 chili dog in the warmth of the mezzanine.
It’s an indoor tail-gate party where you can get all heated up socializing with friends, neighbours and like-minded Heaters.
See you there!