“WE’VE STARTED TO WIN SOME GAMES OVER THE LAST FEW WEEKEND’S AND I THINK THAT KILLER INSTINCT’S STARTING TO COME THROUGH AND YOU KNOW THEY’RE PREPARING THEMSELVES A LITTLE BIT BETTER FOR GAMES AND WE’RE GETTING THE RESULTS NOW. WE TALK ABOUT THE PROCESS ALL YEAR AND YOU KNOW THE RESULTS WILL COME AS LONG AS WE’RE DOING WHAT WE FEEL WE NEED TO DO TO KEEP IMPROVING. SO NOW IT’S NICE FOR THIS PAST MONTH TO HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SEE SOME OF THOSE RESULTS HAPPEN, IN THE WINS AND LOSSES COLUMN.”
THAT WAS HEAD COACH OF THE YELLOWSTONE QUAKE PHIL OBERLIN ON THE TEAMS RECENT SUCCESS.
AFTER WINNING JUST FIVE GAMES A SEASON AGO THE YELLOWSTONE QUAKE HAVE TOPPED THAT TOTAL IN THE FIRST HALF OF 2019. THE QUAKE CURRENTLY HAVE SEVEN WINS WITH FOUR DIVISIONAL GAMES REMAINING IN THE FIRST HALF OF THIS YEAR. IT’S BEEN QUITE THE TURNAROUND FOR THIS QUAKE TEAM WHO HAVE WON FOUR GAMES IN THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER. COACH OBERLIN TALKS MORE ABOUT THE PROGRESSION HE’S SEEN FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR TO NOW.
“WE’RE NOT DEVIATING FROM, YOU KNOW WHAT WE WANT TO. WE MAY HAVE SHIFTED SOME THINGS BUT AGAIN AT THE END OF THE DAY OUR FOCUS IS CONSTANTLY MAKING THE GUYS BETTER AS INDIVIDUAL PLAYERS. SO THAT’LL CARRY OVER TO WHAT WE WANT TO ACCOMPLISH AS A GROUP. WE’VE BEEN DOING THIS CONSISTENTLY SO THAT WE’RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO SEE GROWTH THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.”
THIS IS A QUAKE TEAM WHO NOW BELIEVES THAT THEY CAN BEAT ANY TEAM THEY FACE-OFF WITH REGARDLESS OF RECORD. COACH OBERLIN TOUCHES ON THE UPWARD TREND OF THIS GROUP AND WHAT’S BEEN WORKING.
“YOU KNOW I THINK IT’S SELF MOTIVATION AND THEY’VE BEEN STARTING TO BE ABLE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO THAT WITHIN THE GROUP. FROM THAT STANDPOINT I THINK IT’S GREAT AT THIS POINT IN THE YEAR TO KIND OF SEE THEM START TO REALLY PUSH EACH OTHER TO BE READY FOR GAMES. THERE’S A LOT MORE COMMUNICATION ON THE BENCH, GOING FORWARD THERE’S A LOT MORE NOW PICKING EACH OTHER UP ON HE BENCH.”
UP NEXT FOR THE QUAKE THEY WILL FACE-OFF AGAINST A BUTTE SQUAD THAT THEY NARROWLY GOT PAST A FEW WEEKS AGO. ONE THING COACH OBERLIN NOTED ABOUT THIS BUTTE SQUAD IS HOW HARD THEY WORK. HE SAYS THE QUAKE MUST MATCH THAT EFFORT EVERY SINGLE PLAY.
“BUTTE PLAYS A VERY OPEN GAME. THEY TEND TO JUST KIND OF THROW THE PUCK. SO DEFENSIVELY WE DIDN’T PLAY REALLY WELL AGAINST THEM. THE FIRST TWO GAMES WE PLAYED WE GAVE UP A LOT OF ODD MAN RUSHES, WE GAVE UP A LOT OF BREAK AWAY’S. WE TALKED ABOUT THAT BEFORE THAT WEEKEND AND WE’LL TOUCH ON IT A LOT THIS WEEK TOO, IS THAT THE ONLY SCORING CHANCES THAT THEY GET IS THE ONES WE GIVE TO THEM. WE JUST HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE’RE COMMITTED TO THE DEFENSIVE SIDE OF THE GAME.”
AND IF THE QUAKE ARE TO COME AWAY VICTORIOUS THIS WEEKEND IT ALL STARTS WITH DEFENSE.
“I THINK OUR DEFENSE-MEN NEED TO HAVE A BIG WEEKEND HERE AND JUST UNDERSTAND WHERE THEY NEED TO PLAY, NEED TO MAKE SURE THEY’RE PLAYING PHYSICAL, THAT THEY CAN’T JUST STRIP PUCKS OFF OF THEM, THAT THEIR ARE SOME GUYS THAT HAVE SOME SKILL ON BUTTE AND THEY WORK HARD. IT’S GOING TO BE A TEAM EFFORT OBVIOUSLY DEFENSIVELY BUT I THINK ESPECIALLY YOU KNOW LIMITING THOSE OPPORTUNITIES ON THE BACK SIDE IS GOING TO BE HUGE.”
THE YELLOWSTONE QUAKE RETURN HOME TO THE FRIENDLY CONFINES OF REILLY ARENA THIS FRIDAY AND SATURDAY WHEN THEY HOST THE BUTTE COBRAS. AND THIS FRIDAY IS BIG HORN RADIO NETWORK NIGHT AT THE QUAKE HOCKEY GAME. PUCK DROPS AT 7PM AND THE TEDDY BEAR TOSS WILL ALSO BE HAPPENING AT HALFTIME. ALL BEARS COLLECTED ON THE ICE, GO TO LOCAL CHARITIES IN THE BIG HORN BASIN.
