The month of February kicks off for the North Vancouver Wolf Pack with the Richmond Sockeyes making the trek out to the Harry Jerome Recreation Centre. The Wolf Pack are looking to extend the team’s four-game win streak tonight and will look to do so against a Sockeyes team that beat the Wolf Pack 2-1 in overtime back on January 15.
Richmond Sockeyes
OVERVIEW
Head Coach: Bayne Koen
Record: 27-12-1-0
Road Record: 11-8-0-0
Last Game: A 3-0 home victory Thursday night against Grandview.
Goals For/Goals Against: 164 GF/108 GA (+56)
Power Play: 51/184 (27.72%)
Penalty Kill: 22/155 (85.81%)
Leading Scorers: Garrett Wicks (40GP – 25G – 31A – 56PTS), Lukas Olson (37GP – 13G – 19A – 32PTS), Rocco La Cara (21GP – 13G – 17A – 30PTS)
‘EYE’ ON THE PRIZE
On November 27, the Sockeyes celebrated its 50th anniversary at Minoru Arena. This season, the Sockeyes have a 27-12-1-0 record and 55 points in 40 games which places the Sockeyes in fourth place in the PJHL. The Sockeyes are second in the Tom Shaw Conference and are a point ahead of the Ice Hawks (54) who have played the same amount of games as the Sockeyes (40). With a ticket already punched for the PJHL playoffs and only four games remaining until that time, the Sockeyes hope to enter the postseason with momentum and a few more wins.
PROVING HIS ‘WORTH’
Sockeyes goaltender Marcus Cumberworth finds himself near the top of most goaltending stat categories in the PJHL. The 2002-born product of Surrey, B.C. comes into tonight’s game with 10 victories and a team-best 2.42 goals-against average through 20 appearances. Cumberworth also brings a .923 save percentage and two shutouts to the party. Cumberworth earned one of his shutouts in the Sockeyes 3-0 triumph over Grandview on Thursday and was named the first star of the game. This season against the Wolf Pack, Marcus Cumberworth is 2-1 and has allowed seven goals in three games.
NORTH VANCOUVER WOLF PACK
OVERVIEW
Head Coach: Matt Samson
Record: 31-7-3-1
Home Record: 13-3-3-1
Last Game: A 6-2 win last weekend over Langley.
Goals For/Goals Against: 170 GF/103 GA (+67)
Power Play: 39/182 (21.43%)
Penalty Kill: 20/158 (87.34%)
Leading Scorers: David Coyle (41GP – 28G – 30A – 58PTS), JJ Pickell (42GP – 28G – 27A – 55PTS), Ryan Hunter (42GP – 15G – 32A – 47PTS)
ABOUT LAST SATURDAY
Last weekend the Langley Trappers came to town to play the Wolf Pack for the second and final time during the regular season. The Wolf Pack won 6-2 and six different players scored for the home team.
Ryan Hunter (15) tied the game at one for the Wolf Pack, Jake Loverock (4) scored his first goal since being traded by the Grandview Steelers on the man-advantage, Wolf Pack Captain Alex Binette (15) scored the game winning goal, Kaj Burgess (5) made it 4-2, Gaetano Cammarata (2) deposited the puck in to the empty net, and it was Dario Zitko (5) who scored the sixth and final goal for the Wolf Pack on the Power Play. The Wolf Pack Power Play went ⅖ on the night. With four of the six goals being scored by players who haven’t scored many goals this season, the Wolf Pack is beginning to howl at the right time.
RUN WITH THE WOLVES
The North Vancouver Wolf Pack are set to play their first game of the new month and the first of the final two regular season games prior to the playoffs!
With a 6-2 home victory last Saturday night against Langley the Wolf Pack clinched first place in the Tom Shaw Conference. The team had clinched a berth in the Playoffs prior to that game.
The Wolf Pack have plans on finishing in first place in the PJHL and that is where they currently sit. With a 31-7-3-1 record in 42 games and 66 points the Wolf Pack are only two points ahead of the Langley Trappers who have 64 points in 41 games. If Langley loses at least two of its final three games and/or the Pack wins its last two games the Wolf Pack will finish in first place.
FINAL WORDS
This is the sixth and final meeting of the season between these two clubs. The Wolf Pack won the first meeting 4-2 back on September 9 while the Sockeyes beat the Wolf Pack 4-0 on October 2, 6-2 on November 4th, 3-2 on December 2nd, and 2-1 in extra time back on January 15 in what was the most recent game between North Van and Richmond. The Wolf Pack hold a 7-7-3-0 record over the Sockeyes over the last five seasons and are 1-3-1 against them this season.
