The White Rock Whalers are heating up.
The last half of October has been especially kind to the junior ‘B’ expansion squad, who have won three of their last four Pacific Junior Hockey League games, and even picked up a single point in their only loss, considering a 6-5 defeat to the Ridge Meadows Flames on Oct. 20 came in overtime.
On Saturday at Centennial Arena, White Rock edged the visiting Grandview Steelers 4-3, giving the team five wins on the season. On Oct. 17, the Whalers beat the Aldergrove Kodiaks 4-2 – a win that came just four days after the team’s first-ever shutout, a 3-0 victory over Port Moody on Oct. 13.
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Against the Steelers – who are fourth in the PJHL’s Tom Shaw Conference, seven points up on the Whalers – White Rock jumped out to an early 2-0 lead on first-period goals by Gregory Porter and Cameron Newson, and the lead was stretched to 4-0 by the eight-minute mark of the second frame, after Calder Newson – who also assisted on his brother’s earlier goal – scored just 2:05 into the period.
Cameron Newson, meanwhile, notched his second of the game – and fifth goal of the season – five minutes later on the power play. Cameron Newson, a defenceman, leads the team in scoring with 11 points in 15 games.
“Cam has been great all year for us… a 16-year-old (who) brings tremendous skills,” said Whalers head coach Jason Rogers.
Grandview made a game of it in the second half of the period, however, scoring twice in the final 10 minutes to bridge the gap to 4-2, and then tacked on a third goal midway through the third period. It was as close as they’d get, however, as Whalers goalie Zachary Everett shut the door the rest of the way to earn the win.
In total, Everett made 36 saves.
“I was happy with the effort tonight (as we) were opportunistic on the power play,” the coach, added after the game.
Porter was among the stars for White Rock in their 6-5 OT loss to Ridge Meadows, as well, leading the way with two goals. In the same game, Matthew Rogers had a goal and two helpers.
Against Aldergrove Oct. 17, the Whalers jumped out to an early lead in much the same fashion as they did against Grandview on Saturday. White Rock led 2-0 after the first 20 minutes on goals from Reegan House and Ryan Kong, and Tyler Rogers made it 3-0 with a goal in the second period.
In the third, Tyler Rogers again found the back of the net to extend the Semiahmoo Peninsula squad’s lead to 4-0 before Aldergrove finally got on the board with two goals in the final minutes of the game.
Goaltender Jonathan Holloway – who was acquired in a late-September trade with the North Vancouver Wolfpack – earned the victory in that game, stopping 44 of 46 shots.
The Whalers now sport a record of 5-9-0-1 (win-loss-tie-overtime loss), and are just three points back of Port Moody in their conference standings.
This week, White Rock travels to Richmond for a Thursday night tilt against the defending league champion Sockeyes, and on Saturday will return home to host Abbotsford. Puck drop Saturday is 7:30 p.m.