NEWS RELEASE
COLDWATER ICE WOLVES
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Following a successful inaugural regular season, the Coldwater Ice Wolves have their sights set on the Bracebridge Pioneers in the first round of the Canadian Premier Junior Hockey League (CPJHL) playoffs.
The Ice Wolves finished second in the west division with a record of 27-10-7, while the Pioneers finished 12 points behind them in third, after posting a record of 24-19-1. The Ice Wolves won the season series with a record of 4-1-1, but they expect a tight series as their last two matchups were decided in overtime.
“It's going to be a hard battle between both of us,” said Ice Wolves captain Tyler Arsenault. “We're pretty evenly matched up front, on the back end and even in net as well.”
Despite that, Arsenault is confident the Ice Wolves have what it takes to get past the Pioneers. “We have to come out hard, play like we can; we need to play the body, play fast, play big, start early, play 60 minutes and I’m pretty sure we can beat them.”
Ice Wolves Coach and General Manager Justin Beers expects a battle. “It's going to be a tough series. We've played close games with them all year. They're a skilled team and they play hard. It's going to be a tough one for sure.”
The season, so far, has to be considered a success for the expansion Ice Wolves. After a solid 7-5 start, the Ice Wolves reeled off eight consecutive wins, including a perfect 4-0 at the CPJHL Bala Showcase, to move in to second in the west and they would not relinquish that spot for the remainder of the season.
On the ice, the Ice Wolves have been led by Joseph Iron, Dominik Brzek, Guillaume Vachon and Arsenault. Iron led the team with 39 goals and 67 points in 41 games, while Brzek, Vachon and Arsenault each eclipsed the 60-point mark.
If any playoff games go to overtime, keep an eye on defenseman Jiri Dvorak – he has both of the Ice Wolves' overtime game-winners this season. Between the pipes, goalie Ty Betham has been red hot as of late, taking home CPJHL Goalie of the Month for February.
The Pioneers are led by captain Kristian Luptäk who led the team with 87 points, including 46 goals, placing him third and fourth in the league in those statistics, respectively.
Reflecting on the season, Beers is pleased with how his team, filled with players representing 12 different countries, came together. “The team has played really well; we had a good year for it being our first season in the league. It's come together well, we've got some good chemistry here and I think we're going to have some success here. Hopefully, we can keep it going in the playoffs.”
The Ice Wolves open the playoffs in Bracebridge Thursday night at 8 p.m. Game 2 is set for Friday night at the Coldwater arena at 7:30 p.m. and Game 3, if necessary, will be in Coldwater on Saturday night with puck drop scheduled for 7:30 p.m. as well.
Tickets for home games are $8 for adults, $5 for youth and seniors, with children 5 and under free. You can follow along with the Ice Wolves at www.coldwatericewolves.com and you can check out all the CPJHL scores and schedules at www.cpjhl.com
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Submitted by Jeff Sieger
