Despite losing back-to-back games against the Saskatoon Brewers on the weekend, the Estevan Impact are heading into the playoffs with renewed confidence, after winning the final period of Sunday's game.
On June 21, the Impact lost 23-11, and nearly had the same final score the next day, with a 24-10 loss. There was a noticeably different tone emanating from the Impact bench, however, as the clock struck zero in the third period on Sunday.
"The locker room atmosphere is high right now, but you wouldn't tell by the 24-10 score," said head coach Jody Harris after their second game, where they won the final period 8-3. "We overcame some negativity from certain players, and now we're celebrating a third period victory."
The negativity Harris mentioned took place in the second period of Sundays game, when the Impact's Deshan Krassen (13) was ejected from the game after a scuffle with the Brewers' Chase Tuberfield (25), which was followed by a heated argument with the officials.
Frustration settled in early during the first period as a result of poor defence from the home team, and the Brewers took advantage of the situation right out of the gate, taking a quick 3-0 lead less than three minutes into the game. Multiple fast break opportunities for the Brewers resulted in some easy goals, and by the end of the first period, it was 14-0.
Cody Schwan (14) had four goals for the Brewers after two periods, and despite a late goal by the Impact's Kolby Fleury (67), the Brewers continued to hold a substantial lead heading into the third period.
Harris said the message during the final break was simple: Score a goal.
The team responded with a flurry of them, in large part by the Impact's crisp passing and heightened determination on the defensive end. Affiliated player Rhett Handley (55) scored four goals in the third.
"Our players just need to play with confidence and the leaders on this team need to understand what skill levels we have," said Harris. "Even if you're a AA player, so to speak, you have to work with everyone else and bring them up to your level."
The Impact will take on the Brewers once again when the playoffs begin in two weeks in Saskatoon.
"We have a great group of guys, who get better every 20 minutes," said Harris. "We're going to be ready to do it all over again the next game, and we're going to get better and better."
