By Gerry Foster
The Grand Forks Border Bruins’ eight-game road trip is off to a successful start, thanks to a win and a narrow loss last weekend.
The Bears were in Invermere on Friday, the site of a crushing 9-2 loss a month earlier to the Columbia Valley Rockies. On this night the team played an excellent game, leading 2-0 heading into the third period. Unfortunately they lost focus and some energy, giving up three unanswered goals, resulting in a 3-2 defeat.
Trey Mason scored two goals within 51 seconds early in the opening frame; the first was on a power play. Building an early lead was exactly what the team needed, however Columbia Valley took over the play in the third. Mike Dyck and Chase Hawkins scored in the first half of the period to even the score, and with four minutes left in the game, Hunter Beckett counted the winner.
There was some confusion on the Rockies’ first goal as to whether the puck actually crossed the goal line. Perhaps this unnerved the Bruins as afterwards their play seemed to decline.
The play-by-play commentators suggested that the Bruins were playing a good road game, an accurate description to be sure. They did pick up the pace a bit after giving up the tying goal but couldn’t sustain any concerted pressure.
After an improved effort from the last trip to the Columbia Valley, the team headed for Sparwood to take on the Fernie Ghostriders. Fernie is using Sparwood as their home base since the tragic ammonia leak at the arena in Fernie earlier this season.
The Border Bruins entered this game on a seven-game winless streak. A victory would be critical, not only for the two points in the standings, but also for the mood of the team.
Quinn Yeager had played the previous three games in goal for Grand Forks and was excellent. It was time for a rest and Ross King, who also has been impressive for the Bears this season, got the start in goal. On this night he would continue that trend, backstopping his team to a much needed win.
Ross was tested early and often, facing 39 shots in the game. He surrendered an early goal by Mitch Titus. The speedy forward from Montrose B.C., is in his fourth year with the Ghostriders, and leads the team in scoring.
The Bruins required a spark in this crucial road game, and they received it from the newly formed line of Trey Mason, Zane Avery and Briar Whyte. Avery tied the game only 29 seconds later. Then Briar Whyte notched his fifth goal of the season, an electrifying end to end rush, before unleashing a terrific shot to beat Fernie goaltender Broc Merkl, who played a solid game for his team.
The Bruins scored the only marker of the middle stanza in this exciting game. Again it was newcomer Avery who found the net, assisted by his linemates, Whyte and Mason. The trio has recently been put together by head coach Emery Olauson, and thus far the line has demonstrated some real chemistry.
Whyte has 13 points in 13 games for the Bears and Avery three goals and two assists in four games for his new team. Meanwhile the veteran Mason chipped in with three assists. Fernie’s colour commentator was impressed with Big Trey, the 6 foot, 230 pound Grand Forks forward from Calgary, remarking, “He reminds me of Phil Esposito; the way he is tough to move off the puck!” Esposito starred for many years in the NHL with Chicago, Boston and New York.
Fernie made it 3-2 midway through the third period, but the Bruins held on for a crucial victory.
This weekend the team travels to Castlegar on Friday and Nelson on Saturday. They will carry with them the momentum from their East Kootenay trip as they face two Murdoch Division rivals.