Friday 28 February 2014

One last skate at Cominco

The Trail Smoke Eaters wrap up their 2013/2014 home schedule Friday night when they face off against the West Kelowna Warriors.

Trail shoots for back to back wins for the first time since November 16th as they are coming off maybe their greatest achievement of the season, an epic 6-5 win over the Vernon Vipers - a team who came into the Silver City Wednesday the hottest in the league.

The Smoke Eater faithful were once again stunned by the visiting Vipers, who scored four goals in the first five minutes of the game. This was just two weeks after Vernon came into Cominco Arena and scored three goals in the opening 54 seconds of the match!

But on Wednesday, when the Smoke Eaters went to the dressing room down 5-1 after just 20 minutes of play, forward Scott Davidson says a never-say-die attitude took over. "I think [that's] what we were preaching a lot over on the bench and during intermissions."

Sure enough, it worked. Trail would render Vernon scoreless in the final forty minutes, while the top line of Davidson, Jesse Knowler and Bryan Basilico lead with way with four of Trail's six goals and a total of 12 points.

Davidson says they refocused on their game plan "which, in the first period, we just didn't stick to at all. After that we kind of got back to it and we ended up being all over them."

Talking to the coaching staff after the game, they were blown away by the difference in the team that took the ice at the beginning of the game and the team that skated off after regulation. Asking what was said to the team in the dressing prior to their two powerplay goals in the second period, Nick Deschenes joked he probably shouldn't share the exact wording but suggested it was...constructive criticism.
Nonetheless, it was a big win for many reasons not just because it was their first in 13 games, a stretch that dates back to January 17th. It was only their 10th of what has been a disappointing season and just their fifth victory in front of the success-starved home town fans.

Davidson - a native of Trail - says it meant a lot to go centre ice and salute the fans at the end of Wednesday's game, "That's the best feeling. Knowing that we won and especially that kind of win. It really shows what our team is capable of."

The Smokies will look to carry that momentum over from Wednesday when they play for their final time on home ice this season.

Trail finishes the home and home series in West Kelowna Saturday - which will wrap up the season for them.

West Kelowna comes in with back to back wins, and currently sit tied on top of the Interior Division with the Penticton Vees.

The Warriors boast an incredible 17-4-2-5 road record this season. They - as well as the Vees - have two games remaining in the regular season heading into this final weekend and both obviously will be looking for wins in both.

Game time is 7:30PM at Cominco arena. Watch live online at fasthockey.com or listen for free mixlr.com/smokeeaters.

Apologies for the troubles with mixlr during last game, we HOPE to have it running Friday night.

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