The Storm are once again on the road on a Friday night. They are in North Saanich Friday taking on last place Peninsula.
Before anyone gets overconfident, the Panthers surprised the Comox Valley Glacier Kings 4-3 at the Panorama Recreation Centre last Friday and Head Coach, Lee Stone, doesn’t want his club to take anything for granted.
“We have to get our work boots on, we have to go down there, we have to compete.
“Certainly, that’s something we did at home last weekend, we need to start finding that away from the Brindy.”
Three of their last four losses have been on the road.
The big news this week from the Storm camp was Cole Slaney getting called up to the BCHL Alberni Valley Bulldogs on a permanent basis. After 10 games as an AP (affiliated player), the ‘Dogs’ made it official. For Stone there was a sense of pride in his, now, former D-man. “Cole’s an inspiration, a great example of ‘All In’ for the team,” Stone said. “Team success leads to individual success; Slanes deserves this.”
Slaney has made no secret that his goal was to make it to the next level and he almost accomplished that at the beginning of the season. He was the very last cut of the Junior “A” Olds Grizzlys and he admitted it was devastating.
“It was close, it was pretty bitter to be the last cut in Olds, but as tough as that was, I couldn’t wait to play at the Brindy again.”
Slaney is thrilled at making the jump and is grateful for his 68 games in a Storm jersey.
“I wouldn’t be where I am today without the teammates that made this possible, the coaches that have pushed me and the City of Campbell River that made it feel like a home away from home.”
Last weekend, the Storm picked up four out of a possible six points. On Thursday, they lost to the Buccaneers 5-3 in Nanaimo then thrashed the Islanders at home 6-0, finally closing out with a 4-2 victory over the Glacier Kings on Sunday.
Dawson Frank, Colin Blake and AP Pearce Messer were the standouts on a Storm roster that looked good. Frank’s inspiring work ethic paid dividends as he picked up five points (2G, 3A), 16-year- old Messer looked like a wily veteran on Friday night scoring twice and helping once, while Blake was doing what Blake does best, setting everyone else up.
The Storm have a nine point lead over second place Comox as they enter the second half of the VIJHL season.