The St. John’s Senior Caps concluded the first half of their season with a decisive 6-2 win over the Southern Shore Breakers on December 12 and a 7-2 victory against the CBN Ceebee Stars on December 14th
The back-to-back wins earned the Caps a 7W-4L record and secured them a third-place standing in the Avalon East Senior Hockey League (AESHL).
It was the first win against the Breakers, who won the previous two games against the Caps.
St. John’s Senior Caps Assistant Coach Chris Bartlett said it was a nice win before the Christmas break.
"This is the third time we’ve faced them, and we lost the first two encounters. So, it was nice to get that boost of confidence against them as we head into the stretch in January and February."
Barlett also felt that the team's play with more grit made all the difference in the game.
"We have been preaching about the need for more grit in our games. While we have a skilled hockey team, skill alone doesn’t always win games. It’s the grit that makes the difference. I thought our forecheck was much better established than in previous games. We also finished more hits, especially in the neutral zone, which created some turnovers."
In the Breakers game, Tanner Humber-Dredge led the scoring with one goal and three assists, followed by Matthew McKim, who scored one goal and two assists, and Mark Rumsey, who had two goals and one assist in the 6-2 win.
In the second game against the CBN CeeBee Stars, Bartlett thought Caps goaltender Kyle Downer’s play gave his team a chance to win.
“Downer made some huge saves and controlled his rebounds well, which made a difference in the game's outcome.”
In the Ceebee Stars game, Rumsey scored one goal and two assists, while McKim and Kyle Stevens scored two goals in the 7-2 win.
In the 13 goals the Senior Caps scored in the two games, Bartlett thought the ability to roll four lines effectively made all the difference.
“I thought we rolled all our lines well. We established some offensive zone time at certain points in the game, keeping the Ceebee Stars in their end for 4:40 seconds. I think that was a big game changer for us, having everybody going instead of just relying on two lines.”
Even though the first half of the season has included many ups and downs, Bartlett said there are still many positives to be taken from it.
"It's been quite a roller coaster, to be honest. There have been times when we looked like the championship team from last year, and then there were moments when we realized we needed to step it up. However, I believe this is beneficial because if everything were going perfectly at the start of the season, we'd feel like there's nothing to improve. Right now, we have the opportunity to create our own identity."
Bartlett added that if the team consistently plays with grit that matches its skill and work ethic, it can win every game.
The Senior Caps start the second half of their season versus the CBN CeeBee Stars on January 5th at the Mary Brown’s Centre. The puck drop is at 4 p.m.
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