Maybe the colour mesmerizes the opposition. Maybe the Storm players feel energized when they wear the shade. Or, maybe it’s just their lucky colour.
Whatever the case, the Grande Prairie Storm are virtually unbeatable when they put on their special pink jerseys. Saturday night at the Canada Games Arena was more of the same, as the Storm blanked the Camrose Kodiaks 2-0 in the seventh annual Brekkaas Vacuum and Tank Shoot for the Cure night. All time, the Storm are now 6-0-1 when donning the pink.
The final ten minutes of the second period proved to be the difference in this one, after both clubs played a cautious first half of the game. After going 0-for-6 with the man advantage and generating few chances, the dormant Storm powerplay finally awakened
to connect on back-to-back chances.
Taylor Cote was left alone in the slot to snipe one past Camrose goalie Devin McDonald 13:16 into the second period. Then at the 19:07 mark, back on another powerplay, Tanner Labbe tapped in a rebound, after Mike Forsyth’s shot rang off the post and landed in the crease, behind McDonald. That would prove to be all the scoring the Storm would need on this night.
Curtis Skip was finally rewarded for all his excellent work between the pipes thus far this young AJHL season, as he blocked 26 shots for his first shut out of the 2012-13 campaign. For the first two periods, Skip had a relatively easy night, as Camrose rarely threatened, in mustering just 13 shots. The Kodiaks matched that total in the final frame, forcing Skip to be sharp, especially in the final ten minutes.
The win avenged a 2-1 loss to the Kodiaks back on the opening weekend of the season. It also runs the team’s impressive record against South Division teams to 5-1 on the year, compared to a 7-5-2 mark overall. They get another crack at a southern team on Saturday night, as the Calgary Mustangs make their lone trip to the Swan City. Game time is 7:30.
-Story supplied by Don Whiteford of www.PeaceCountrySports.com