The Richmond Sockeyes are ready to get back to work with four of their biggest games of the regular season, starting on Thursday night at Minoru Arenas.
The Sockeyes have a home-and-home series with the Pacific Junior Hockey League leading North Vancouver Wolf Pack that also includes a trip to the North Shore on Saturday night. It’s then off to Ladner next Tuesday to take on the second place Delta Ice Hawks before returning home to host the fourth place Abbotsford Pilots two nights later.
Richmond (25-8-2-1) trail the Wolf Pack (30-8-0-1) by eight points and the Ice Hawks (26-7-2-3) by four but have three and two games in hand respectively.
This year’s playoff format will see the top eight in the overall standings square off in the quarter-finals rather than separate conference play.
The Sockeyes lost ground last week after a frustrating 2-1 home ice loss to the White Rock Whalers. A pair of goals 38 seconds apart by the visitors in the third period proved to be the difference despite Richmond enjoying a 48-24 advantage in the shot department.
The expansion team has proven to be a thorn in Richmond’s side this season — splitting the four-game series and winning both meetings at Minoru by the same score.
Game time Thursday is 7 p.m.
Icing…
The Sockeyes only need a single point in Ladner to secure the Tunnel Cup which is presented to the winner of the four-game regular season rivalry series.
There was plenty of fun last Saturday at Minoru during the club’s 17th annual Alumni Game. The grads broke a 2-2 deadlock with a pair of goals in the final period and skated past the current team 5-3.
Alumni goal scorers included: Tyler Andrews, Carter Popoff, Eli Wiebe, Dominic Centis and Turner Popoff. Ryleigh Anderson, Craig Schouten and Jake Keremidschieff replied for the Sockeyes.
Goaltender Jacob Latrace was named the Alumni’s game MVP while Keremidschieff earned the honours for the current team.
The game and evening’s festivities, including a silent auction and beer garden, is an important fundraiser for the club’s scholarship program to assist players with post-secondary education.
