Thurs., Dec. 23/10
Carlyle - 2 at Wawota - 3
Big Six Hockey League
This year's Christmas Classic was a dandy as the Flyers were full marks for this home ice victory, scoring three power-play markers en route to this win over the arch-rival Cougars from Carlyle. The Flyers took a 1 - 0 lead when Kevin Lincoln knocked in the rebound of a point shot with Rob West and Mike Bratton assisting.
The Cougars evened the tally in the first minute of the second period. Carlyle scored a go-ahead goal three minutes into the thrid, but Kent Sauter tied it 2 minutes later as he pounded in brother Fritz's rebound, with West getting the second assist. That set the stage for Chad Hebert's winner with six minutes left, when his cousinn Kristjan drove the net from the corner, with Chad pounding home the rebound to seal the deal. Kevin Lincoln got the other assist. Ryan Potter was a tower of strength in the Flyers' cage as the Flyers' tenacoious fore-check seemed to frustrate the Cougars.
The Flyers, as mentioned, worked their butts off for this one, and were totally deserving of this victory! It made the Christmas turkey just a bit better!
Thurs., Dec. 30/10
Arcola-Kisbey - 5
at Wawota - 3
Big Six Hockey League
The Flyers opened scoring a minute into the game when Fritz Sauter converted brother Kent's centering pass with Kristjan Hebert drawing the second assist. A minute and a half later, Mike Bratton's unassisted tally gave the Flyers an early 2 - 0 lead. The Flyers had what appeared to be a power-play marker negated by an early whistle mid-way through the period. This would have given the Flyers a 3 - 0 lead, but the Combines roared back, scoring with 3 minutes left in the first period and then scoring three unanswered second period goals to take a 4 - 2 lead after two periods. Ryan Potter's fine play in the Flyers' net kept his team in the game, but fatique proved to be a factor, the result of a tenacious Combines' forecheck.
The Combines padded their lead, scoring with five minutes left in the third, but the Flyers, with their never-say-die attitude closed the gap a minute later with Ben Brown converting a nifty 2 on 1, assisted by Hebert. Pulling Potter for the extra attacked failed to produce the desired result as the Combines were full marks for their win.