Ice Demons bloodied in Williams Lake losing opening game of CIHL championship series in a 12-2 blowout

The Kitimat Ice Demons, minus several key players, built a mountain for themselves in round two a home next week, losing in a 12-2 blowout to the smooth-skating Williams Lake Stampeders. The Ice Demons are the defending champions. Stampeders were on their game from the start, while the Ice Demons defense was guilty of a couple of early own-end giveaways that the Stampeders connected on. Wilf Robbins opened the scoring three minutes in with a tap-in after Robin Gilbert grabbed a loose puck in the corner and spotted Robbins at the side of the net. Stuart Sasges hit the score sheet next, converting on a pass from Ryan Yawkorski. Two goals by Matt Lees sent the Demons to the locker room, down 4-0 and unhappy about it. Shots on goal were 17 - 9, Williams Lake, but Justin Foote was having a good game. They came out stronger in the second period and pressed hard reeling off six shots that had the Stampeders pinned, but Foote kept the goal line intact. A goal at this point might have turned the momentum of the game, but it was the Stamps who had a two on one break-away allowing Paul Girodat to put the Stampeders fifth goal behind Brett Vilness. Less than 30 second later Francis Johnson and Robin Gilbert made it 6-0 and while the Demons were trying to get organized, Dan Cook made it 7-0, jus nine seconds later. That was the end of the night was Brett Villness, who was replaced by Jamie Moran who immediately had to stop a breakaway by Nathan Zurak, who was pilled down as he was trying to soot. The referee pointed to the centre spot and Zurak made no mistake drawing Moran to his left and back-handing it into the right side of the net to make it 8-0. Jeremy Brady combined nicely with Brandon Wakita to open the scoring for Kitimat with10.24 gone in the period. The Ice Demons again showed a spurt, but both Foote and Moran showed that there was some good goaltending going on and the last nine minutes of the second period were scoreless, as the fans whooped it up. The third showed the Demons were mentally down. Girodat added his second of the game after Moran made a good skate stop on Nathan Zurak on the goal line, but his momentum took him off the post and Girodat slid the puck the remaining six inches across the line, to increase the lead to 9-0 in the second minute. A goal by Ryan Yawkorski, showed the way the game was going to the Demons, after Terry Helgason and Geoff Morgan collided, leaving the puck loose 20 feet in front of Moran, with Stu Sasges coming in alone. His side pass to Yawkorski allowed him the two foot tap-in. A frustration call on Ryan Baker gave the Stampeders their only power play goal of the game, by Francis Johnson before Geoff Morgan gave the Kitimat fans some belated cheer with a shorthanded goal created by speed and a great shot on Foote to make the score 11-2. Paul Girodat made it 12-2 three minutes later to finish the scoring but not the action as the Stampeders tried to send a toughness message for next week as veteran Brent McIsaac chased young Brandon Wakita around the ice and forced the Kitimat center to drop his gloves. Wakita wasn't injured by McIsaac is a seasoned scrapper. Steven Venman and David Cadsand also dropped the gloves after an exchange and Venman was dropped. Nick Markowsky and Paul Girodat finished the fisticuffs entertainment with all three fights coming with 16 seconds left in the game. Markowski won the final fight. The two teams meet again next Saturday in Tamitik where the Ice Demons can expect to see Jeff Mildenberger, Daniel Mayer, Kory Finn and possibly Derek Wakita back in the lineup.