Image Credit: CFJC Today

By Adam Donnelly

LOCALS FALL JUST SHORT

Kamloops Bantam Blazers battle hard in KIBIHT final, fall short in double OT

Jan 5, 2020 | 5:28 PM

KAMLOOPS — For Kamloops Bantam Tier 2 Blazers fans at McArthur Island on Sunday afternoon, they felt pretty much the whole gamut of emotions. From hope to disappointment, excitement, happiness, relief, and finally heartbreak.

The T2 Blazers fell 5-4 in double overtime to the TRAC Wolverines of Whitecourt, AB, in the Founders Division Championship game. Just the fact the kids from Kamloops made it to extra time was nothing short of miraculous.

The Wolverines opened the scoring late in the first period, against the flow of play. Nash Hilworth found himself alone in front of the Kamloops net and beat Kamloops netminder Noah Clark to give the visitors the lead.

The Blazers would respond early in the second, as Austin Barrett scored to even the game at one goal apiece.

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From there, TRAC would take the lead. First, Connor Smith scored for the boys from Alberta to make it 2-1, then less than three minutes later, William Roddick would bank one off Clark to make it 3-1 for the Wolverines.

Less than four minutes into the third period, Maddox Sequin stretched the lead to three with a powerplay marker, and all of a sudden, things looked bleak for the Blazers.

However, the message remained positive from the Blazers bench. With six minutes gone in the third, the Blazers got a powerplay, and they took full advantage. Hudson Clarke fired it from the point, and it eluded Wolverines netminder Damien Vyse to make it a two-goal deficit for the Blazers.

Two and half minutes later, Kamloops would get another. This time, Markus Baron found the back of the net to make it a 4-3 hockey game.

The Blazers would complete comeback four minutes after that when Austin Barrett got his second goal and fourth point of the night to even the game at four.

The Wolverines would push for the go-ahead goal, but couldn’t solve the Kamloops netminder Clark, who made several big saves to keep the score tied.

It was off to overtime. A ten minute OT period didn’t solve anything, so both teams went to the dressing room while the ice was resurfaced. The game came it’s conclusion just before the five-minute mark of the second overtime.

The Wolverines kept the play alive in the Kamloops zone, D-man Logan Carlson fed Cohen Paul, who slipped it past Clark. It was elation for the boys from Alberta.

“I just guided it into the net,” Paul said after the game. “The feeling after was just absolute happiness. I wanted to cry, but y’know, big boys don’t cry.”

On the other side, heartbreak for the Blazers, who were looking to become to first Kamloops club to win the Founder’s Division title since it was introduced in 2011.

“It was a fight all game,” an emotional Bryan Seimens, Blazers coach, said after the loss. “All tournament we battled back a few times. The kids found a way to do it; unfortunately, we came up short. They worked their butts off, and they should be proud of what they accomplished.”