Alessio Cusano
The North Vancouver Wolf Pack were back in action Saturday night as they took on division rivals White Rock Whalers with two massive points up for grabs.
It was a typical hot start to the game for North Van, wanting to get one early for the home fans. The early goal came just over two minutes in and was scored by Captain JJ Pickell off a sweet pass from rookie sensation Rylan Oatman.
North Van fans didn’t have to wait long for the second as Jason Scott buried home a rebound less than 30 seconds after the opener. The pressure did not stop; North Van wanted to make it three before White Rock got on board. The third came off another rebound scored by Jason Scott to make it 3-0 before White Rock even had three shots.
PJHL Player of the Week Scott continued his dominance in the first. White Rock pulled one back just after the midway point of the first period to make it 3-1. White Rock followed in North Van’s footsteps by getting their second goal shortly after their first. It seemed North Van had got a fourth; however, it was reversed due to the net being off its peg.
Jason Scott is one of the best at getting a bit scrappy and doing everything possible for a goal, and it nearly paid off when he was sent crashing near the net near the end of the first, causing a scramble around the crease that almost made it 4-2 Wolf Pack.
In an engaging and intense first period, The North Vancouver native was the best of the best as he was on the hunt for his hat trick in the last 10 minutes.
The second started with a bang when Matthew Carniel restored the two-goal lead to make it 4-2. The Whalers pulled one back just after five minutes in the second frame. The back-and-forth goal scoring didn’t stop as Corson Penman made it 5-3, making it eight total goals before the game’s halfway mark.
Scott is usually the man in front of the goal on power plays, looking for that deflection or rebound where he scored twice from the first. The Wolf Pack had many power play chances in the third, and they finally put one in the back of the net thanks to Corson Penman. With the man advantage, North Vancouver scored off the one-timer to double the lead for the home team, 6-3.
Scott was once again on the hunt for his third goal of the night after a significant penalty kill from the Wolf Pack. The Wolf Pack offense was putting nonstop pressure on the Whalers early in the third, as they were all night, to preserve the lead.
Penman, who was also looking for his hat trick goal, was amongst this heavy pressure. White Rock made it 6-4, but the home team got it right back to extend their lead back to three. 7-4. Anthony Reimer then made it 8-4, bringing some of the night’s biggest cheers from the Wolf Pack bench. White Rock pulled one back on the power play with 3:35 to go in the game. 8-5.
The hat trick finally came for Jason Scott, who put nine on the board for the Wolf Pack with just under two minutes to go in the third period. That was enough for the win as the Wolf Pack extended their lead over the Whalers in the standings.
The Wolf Pack are back home on Saturday, January 27th, when they take on the Port Moody Panthers.
