RiverKings playoff bound
By Matt James
February 16th, 2009 at 7:57PM November 30th, 2011 6:30PM
The Minden RiverKings have just one game remaining in the regular season and they won’t get much rest before facing the Elliott Lake Bobcats in the first round of the GMHL playoffs.
Yesterday the Minden RiverKings travelled to Gravenhurst to face the South Muskoka Shield in hopes of snapping a two-game loosing streak. It was a tough task to say the least since the Shield has lost only four games all season.
The scores will be posted on our website, www.mindentimes.ca.
The losing streak began February 13 with a 7-4 road loss to the Nipissing Alouettes.
“We had no legs so they beat us up a bit in the first [period],†said RiverKings head coach Brooks Robinson. “We came back in the second a little bit but we just didn’t have enough to catch them.â€
The Minden goal scorers against Nipissing were Jeff Beall, Brett Meyers (2) and Matt Eno. Assists went to Meyers, Garrett Simmons, Tyler Wright, Bryar Hill, and Beall.
The streak continued on February 15 in a 6-0 shutoutloss to the Innisfil Lakers. Robinson wasn’t shy about giving credit to the opposing team.
“Those guys are amazing,†he said. “They have a really good hockey club.â€
The RiverKings’s Meyers had put a goal on the board but the goal was called back and a RiverKings player in front of the net was charged with an infraction.
The RiverKings were unable to skate with the Lakers and became frustrated.
RiverKings’s starting goaltender Andrew Selbie continues to be one of the strong members for the team. After suffering a couple of quick goals against Nipissing he settled down. Despite the 6-0 loss Robinson said, “he was amazing,†and that the score could have been 15-0 in the first period had it not been for his goaltending.
“They just peppered him with shots and he just stood on his head,†Robinson said.
The RiverKings may have fallen away from their game over the past week but Robinson said the team practice February 16 was very constructive. He sat the team down and rehashed the team’s situation just one week from playoffs.
The RiverKings are 17-22-1 on the season.