Adanacs Extend Their Win Streak to 10 Games

There was no rest for the Port Coquitlam Saints as they took on the Coquitlam Adanacs tonight following a 9-6 defeat to the Salmonbellies last night. Unfortunately, it looked like the Saints used all their energy in trying to comeback from a 7-0 deficit against the Salmonbellies that they just couldn’t keep up with the Adanacs tonight. 

The Saints opened up the scoring just over 4 minutes into the first period with a goal by Jake Bye and within 2 minutes, the Adanacs responded with two and the Saints evened it up right after to make it 2-2. 

Adanacs’ Cole Shafer broke the tie scoring shorthanded close to the halfway mark of the period and that seemed to have rubbed Saints’ Gordie Phillips the wrong way as he received a double minor for checking from behind and the Adanacs certainly made them pay, scoring two on the powerplay to make it 5-2. 

With less than 8 minutes remaining in the period, Jean-Luc Chetner made it 6-2 Adanacs, but Saints’ Tanner Rennich cut the Adanacs lead to 3 to end the first period. 

The second period saw the frustration levels of the Saints rise as penalties were taken and no easing off the gas pedal from the Adanacs. 

Shafer and Mike Rybka made it 8-3 Adanacs within the first 2 minutes of the second period followed by a goal from Tyler Pace less than 2 minutes later to make it 9-3. 

After Chetner made it 10-3, the Saints simply let their frustrations get to them. A double minor checking from behind at the half way mark of the period, followed by a bench minor for unsportsmanlike, which was cancelled out by a roughing major from the Adanacs and a major for high sticking all happened within 3 minutes. 

The Adanacs did their damage on the 5-minute powerplay as Pace, Shafer and Chetner each capitalized, with Chetner scoring two, to make it 14-3 for the Adanacs. Saints’ Greg Lunde scored near the end of the period to make it 14-4. 

Certainly with a score of 14-4, you would think both teams would try to run the clock and keep it simple, right? Wrong. While the third period saw only 4 goals, scored by Saints’ Sahawna Baker and Adanacs’ Michael Messenger, Andy Campbell and Rybka, it was the 9 penalties that made the game longer than it should have been. Surprisingly, 6 of the 9 penalties were against the Adanacs. 

The rough stuff came around the 5-minute with Campbell receiving a cross checking minor, Chase McIntyre getting tossed for unsportsmanlike and a minor high sticking call against Saints’ Lyndon Knuttila, but at the end of it all, it was the Adanacs extending their winning streak in a convincing manner to 10 games, defeating the Saints 17-5. 

It was a rough night for Saints goaltenders Andrew Gallant and Giulio Del Bianco, who made 14 of 22 and 22 of 31 saves respectively. Fortunately for Adanacs’ Bryce Phenix, it was a rather quiet night for him as he made 21 of 26 saves. 

Three Stars of the Game

1. Coquitlam – Mike Rybka – 3 Goals, 7 Assists

2. Coquitlam – Cole Shafer – 5 Goals, 3 Assists

3. Coquitlam -  Jean-Luc Chetner – 4 Goals, 3 Assists

The Adanacs will now head to the island to face the Timbermen on Saturday and Sunday while the Saints will only get a day of rest until they are back at it against the Islanders at home on Friday.