And send one they did.
The Rockies came out flying and stunned the home crowd early. Jake Gramlich etched his name into the KIJHL scoresheet burying his first ever league goal off a setup from Cole King and Brenden Reeve. It was a dream start in a building that doesn’t give up much.
But the Dynamiters perched atop the standings for a reason pushed back hard. The home side answered with a pair before the opening frame was through. Refusing to sag, the Rockies struck late on the power play. Parker Cutts hammered one home from Chance Cole and Lachlan Hanton, knotting the game at 2-2 after an electric first period.
The Rockies wasted no time reclaiming momentum in the second. Just 48 seconds in, Lachlan Hanton capitalized and was credited with an unassisted marker restoring the Rockies’ lead. Columbia Valley controlled long stretches of play grinding down the Dynamiters with relentless forechecking pressure despite the shot clock favouring the home side.
Still the home team clawed back with two of their own and after forty minutes the Rockies found themselves trailing 4-3. With their season on the line it was gut check time!
The third period belonged to the Rockies.
They came out hungry, determined and absolutely unwilling to be denied. The power play lethal all night struck early when Peter Godley rifled home his 16th of the campaign off crisp puck movement from Ethan Cerone. The equalizer silenced the crowd and shifted the momentum squarely to the Rockies.
Midway through the frame the Rockies’ special teams went back to work. Ethan Cerone notched his 20th of the season finishing a beautiful sequence from Parker Cutts and Godley again on the man advantage. Suddenly, it was 5-4 Columbia Valley and the league leaders were on their heels.
From there it was all about resolve.
Piet Miereau and the Rockies locked things down defensively battling for every inch of ice. A critical five minute major penalty kill proved to be a turning point, with the penalty killers standing tall and refusing to give Kimberley any life. Frustration mounted for the home side as Columbia Valley smothered rushes, won puck battles and sacrificed the body to protect the lead.
When the final horn sounded the Rockies had secured a tremendous 5-4 victory and with it a playoff berth.
Head Coach Tucker Braund summed it up perfectly afterward.
“Playoff like atmosphere Saturday in Kimberley. Tight game back and forth. We wanted to make sure we didn’t have to rely on anyone to help us get into the playoffs. We wanted to be the ones who wrote our story. The guys dug in and got the job done. Our PK was fantastic killing off a 5 minute major and our PP has been excellent lately! Really proud of our guys going from 13 points back at one point in the year to getting into the playoffs and being one of the hottest teams in the league since Christmas. They are resilient and have shown they can learn and play at the level we want them to.”
In fitting fashion the postseason will see the Rockies square off against the very same Dynamiters they just defeated. Saturday’s win wasn’t just about clinching it was about belief, resilience and sending a clear message: this series will not be easy.
The Rockies have two more regular season battles left as they gear up for the playoffs; a home and home showdown with the always dangerous Golden Rockets.
Rockies fans won’t want to miss this one.
Come out and cheer on your playoff bound Columbia Valley Rockies on Saturday, February 28 at 7:00 PM as they host the Golden Rockets at the Eddie Mountain Memorial Arena. Let’s pack the barn, bring the noise and send the boys into the playoffs with the energy only Rockies Nation can deliver.
Playoff hockey is coming and it starts with you.
