It’s a brand new season and a new era as the PJHL move into Junior A hockey. The Grandview Steelers have a lot of new faces this year as they lost a few players to aging out as well as players moving onto other leagues and post-secondary schools. The Steelers open the season against the high flying Delta Ice Hawks who also will be starting their season tonight. In the crowd we saw many Steelers Alumni including former captain Jarod Yau, former captain Alex Pettingale, Vincent Timperio and Kaidan Johnson.
It was a tough start for the Steelers who were helmed in for large stretches of play and seemingly unable to get out of their zone. It didn’t get any better as the Ice Hawks get the opening goal as Hemenway scores off a nifty play by Jang. Despite being outplayed, the Steelers carry hope into the second scoring with seconds left in the period as Teixeira records the first Steelers goal this season. Luke Cox picks up the lone assist.
In the middle stanza, the Steelers strike first as rookie Zarek Slaferek scores to take the lead. Thus begin the parade to the penalty box by both teams. It affected the Steelers the most as they gave up back to back powerplay goals to go down 3-2 after 40 minutes of play.
Steelers powerplay found their footing as they tie up the game early in the third period with a powerplay marker from Northard. Late in the third period, the Steelers found the fourth goal but it lasted 35 seconds as the Ice Hawks responded quickly.
Overtime didn’t solve anything with both teams having chances to end it.
The shootout when back and forth and it took 12 rounds before the Steelers conceded the extra point to the Ice Hawks.
The Steelers salvage a point in the shootout lost to the Ice Hawks.
The Steelers generated 29 shots and the Ice Hawks generated 47 shots.
The CCM 3 Stars for tonight’s contest:
1. Ice Hawks #7 Brandon Petrie, 1 assist
2. Ice Hawks #9 Colin Jang, 2 goals, 1 assist
3. Steelers #91 Cam Northard, 1goal, 1 assist
The 3 Stars are brought to you by CCM.
The Steelers head off to Richmond to face off against the Sockeyes on Thursday night. The Steelers will get their first look at the new Port Coquitlam Traiblazers, playing host next Sunday.
The Steelers battle hard but lost in the twelfth round of the shootout to the Ice Hawks.
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