Breakers 7 – Whalers 2
Comox, BC
Saturday night saw the Whalers take on the other local team, the Breakers. Past games between these two teams have always been physical affrairs, with plenty of scrappy play. Saturday’s game was no different with multiple big hits taking place on the ice, including one spectacular collision between Tera “I bring the pain” Kasabuchi and one of the Breakers star forwards.
The game featured two newcomers tending goal. The Breakers GM managed to sign some high-level talent away from the DND while at the other end of the rink, Jan “Da Foe” Dafoe started her first game in net since playing road hockey about thirty years ago. Both goalies played well despite the lop-sided score. “Da Foe” was just that, turning aside shot after shot from the Breakers. The game report showed 119 shots generated by the Breakers which meant that her save percentage was actually .941, higher than many NHL goalies.
The goal of the night featured a 98 mph slapshot taken from the red line by Whalers centre Kayla Novelli. While some would view this as a fluke goal, during the post-game scrum with reporters, Novelli said she “tried to strategically bounce the puck about three feet in front of the Breaker’s goalie,” a testament to her high skill level. She would score another goal later in the contest.
Sky “The Crow” Zimmerman and Deb “La Bouche” Lacroix were the vocal leaders of the team, encouraging their linemates by a combination of incoherent shouts, whistles and animal calls. The defence was anchored by a trifecta of players who did yeoman’s duty by playing big minutes.
While the Whales were involved in much of the play, the Breakers managed to generate a little more offense which allowed them to outscore the Whalers by 5. The final score was not indicative of the tenor of the game, as both teams matched up fairly well. The next game should be a good re-match as rivalries are renewed and, perhaps, tempers flare.
The Whalers next take to the ice Saturday, December 5th in Parksville.
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