KLIPPERS DROP TWO TO BATTLEFORD
Close only matters in horseshoes and hand grenades.
In a tough early season home-and-home with the defending SJHL Champions and 4th ranked Jr A team in Canada, the Klippers came close but couldn’t find a way to get the W. Friday night’s Klippers Home Opener was a heck of a hockey game with plenty of scoring chances for the home side, a handful of which rung off the posts behind Stars goaltender Taryn Kotchorek.
Through three complete periods the two teams remained deadlocked at 0-0 and proceeded into a 5 minute 3 on 3 overtime session. The Klippers maintained control of the puck for the opening minute plus of the frame, generating two or three high quality scoring chances before the Stars capitalized on a break of their own and buried a hard wrist shot passed Klippers starter Justen Close. The loser’s point for the OTL was well earned but not the result the re-vamped Klippers team had in mind after giving the Stars all they could handle.
Saturday @ North Battleford
2 minutes and 14 seconds was all it took for the Battleford Stars to blow the doors open and put the end to a competitive game Saturday night in SJHL action. Through 2 complete periods the Stars and Klippers were deadlocked at zero, but that all changed in a matter of 2 minutes and 14 seconds when Layne Young took the game over. Young scored the first goal of the night and assisted on the next two as the Stars finally figured out Klippers goalie Justen Close who had another stellar night in between the posts.
Special teams were once again the story for the Klippers who registered a total of 58 penalty minutes on the night to go with an 0 for 8 performance on the power play; both of which will need to be tweaked as the Klippers enter this week with two tough opponents in Humboldt Wednesday and Estevan Friday.
