If first impressions are the key to success then things are looking good for the new North Van Wolf Pack Junior B hockey team after their 3-1 win over the Mission Icebreakers in their first-ever regular season game in their new home.
The Pack spent the last three seasons playing in Squamish but moved to North Vancouvers Harry Jerome Arena during this summers offseason to take up permanent residency on the North Shore. On Saturday night they kicked off their season in style with a strong performance to win their home opener. The win was all the more sweet for the holdover players from last season who slogged their way to a 6-36-4 record in Squamish.
It was great we havent won for a while. Its a good start to the season, said team captain Garrett Woodside after the game, adding that the team was encouraged by the nearly 400 fans who came out to see the game. That was awesome, that was the best crowd out of any team in the league. If we can keep that up and even get more thatll be unreal.
Woodside made a little North Van Wolf Pack history as well, scoring the teams first regular season goal on a power play deflection less than four minutes into the game to give the Pack a 1-0 lead.
I was just banging around in front of the net, which is what Im supposed to do, and I got lucky and tipped it, he said. It was pretty sweet to score the first goal ever with this whole organization here in North Van. Thats pretty special, and hopefully theres more to come.
With five minutes left in the first period the Wolf Packs Marcus Houck picked up a rebound in front of the Mission net, made a nifty move and slid in what would turn out to be the game-winning goal.
Hes probably our purest goal scorer, he just has a knack around the net, said coach Matt Samson of Houck, a North Vancouver native who worked hard to get back on the ice this year after suffering a nasty broken leg last year. If he stays healthy he should put 20 in.
Mission tightened things up with a power play goal from Ryan Lisowsky early in the second period. Later in the middle frame came another North Van Wolf pack first as North Vancouvers Bryden Luscombe dropped his gloves in the teams first fight. The short, rapid-fire scrap happened after Luscombe laid an open-ice hit on a Mission defenceman, prompting the Icebreakers Nolan Wallinger to jump in and throw down the gloves. Luscombe received a checking to the head penalty in addition to his fighting penalties a total of 30 PIMs all told while Wallinger earned the instigator penalty and both fighters were ejected from the game as per the Pacific International Junior Hockey Leagues one fight rule.
The third period was all Pack as the North Van team poured it on, outshooting the Icebreakers 21-7 while getting a shorthanded insurance goal from Kyle Hoekstra. Linemate Robert Johnson blocked a shot on the penalty kill, springing Hoekstra for a breakaway that he converted with a nifty deke and high backhander.
(Hoekstra) was the number 1 star for us tonight, he was our best overall player, said Samson. Hoekstra, (Jamie) Creamore and Johnson thats a line that were going to look to. We can get a goal out of them, we can get a defensive shift. Theyre a big part of our penalty kill.
Goaltender Jordan Liem got the win for the Wolf Pack, making 23 saves including a few acrobatic moves coming after Wolf Pack turnovers.
He was solid, said Samson. He was with us last year as a 17-year-old and we struggled defensively well we struggled in all facets but a lot of times he faced a lot of rubber. He had a tough year but he battled through it and I think hes going to be that much better for it this year. He was right on the cusp of making the jump up to Junior A so I look for him to be one of the top three or four goaltenders in this league no question. That was a good start for him.
The city that the team calls home is just one of the things that is going to be different about the Wolf Pack this year, said Samson.
Really the only thing thats the same is our jerseys, he said. We have a couple of players (back), but weve really taken the mindset that this is a fresh start. Its comparable to the Thrashers moving to Winnipeg no one is worried about what the Thrashers did last year, theyre excited for Winnipeg. On a smaller scale, thats what were trying to say to these guys. Weve got a fresh start, great opportunity, great support as you can see.
Its nice to look up and see a bunch of bodies in the seats. It seemed like there was a good vibe in here and the fans were into it. I hope they were happy with what they saw.
The following day the Wolf Pack continued to prove that theyre new and improved, scoring a 7-5 win over the Grandview Steelers at the Burnaby Winter Club. Down 4-2 after one period, the Pack stormed back with five goals in the final two frames to take the win with Houck again scoring the winner on a penalty shot with less than five minutes left in the game.
With a 2-0 record the Wolf Pack sit atop the standings in the PIJHLs Tom Shaw Conference. Theyll face a stiff test Thursday when they travel to Richmond to take on the Sockeyes, last years conference champions. The next home game for the Wolf Pack will be Saturday, Oct. 1 at 7 p.m. at Harry Jerome against the Delta Ice Hawks.
