THE YELLOWSTONE QUAKE RETURNED HOME TO THE FRIENDLY CONFINES OF THE REILY ARENA OVER THE WEEKEND, SWEEPING THE BUTTE COBRAS. THIS WAS THE QUAKES FIRST WEEKEND SWEEP OF THE SEASON. YELLOWSTONE POURED ON 13 GOALS AGAINST BUTTE IN THE TWO WINS AND SATURDAY WAS A COME FROM BEHIND VICTORY. ENTERING THE THIRD PERIOD THEY FOUND THEMSELVES DOWN 6-3 AND REELED OFF FOUR STRAIGHT GOALS IN THE FINAL 12 MINUTES FOR THE 7-6 VICTORY. HEAD COACH OF THE QUAKE PHIL OBERLIN ON THE TWO WINS.
“WE ENDED UP GETTING SOME GOOD LINE COMBINATIONS WORKING LAST WEEK AND INTO THE WEEKEND. OBVIOUSLY, THAT LINE OF JACK HARRIS, DYLAN RUMPKE AND CADE ROSANSKY KIND OF LED THE WAY THIS WEEKEND. WE HAD SOME KEY SECONDARY SCORING THIS WEEKEND. THAT KIND OF PUT US OVER THAT HUMP THERE. IT WAS A GOOD OVERALL WEEKEND.”
THESE TWO VICTORIES VS. BUTTE COULD PROVE TO BE A TURNING POINT IN THE SEASON. AS THIS TEAM MOVES THROUGH THE SEASON THEIR WILL BE MANY MORE UPS AND DOWNS BUT COACH OBERLIN EYES A CHANGE IN THE TEAMS MENTAL MAKE-UP THAT HE BELIEVES WILL HELP THIS TEAM ACHIEVE MORE.
“INSIDE THE ROOM I THINK THEY’RE STARTING TO HATE TO LOSE NOW BECAUSE I THINK THAT FEELING IN MISSOULA… I DON’T WE EVER WANT TO HAVE THAT AGAIN, YOU KNOW, KNOWING WE’RE A BETTER TEAM THAN THAT. SO UNTIL YOU HATE TO LOSE IT’S GOING TO HAVE THAT KIND OF UP-AND-DOWN EFFECT. JUST UNDERSTANDING YOU GOTTA DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO WIN AND THAT COMEBACK WIN SATURDAY, I THINK GAVE THEM THAT DRIVE THAT HEY WE’RE GOING TO DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO GET THIS DONE.”
UP NEXT ON THE SCHEDULE FOR THE QUAKE IS ANOTHER MATCH-UP WITH THE SHERIDAN HAWKS. SHERIDAN COMES INTO THE FACE-OFF AS THE HIGHEST SCORING OFFENSE IN THE CONFERENCE. COACH OBERLIN ON THE QUAKES APPROACH DEFENSIVELY.
“WE HAVE TO SLOW THEM DOWN. AGAIN THEY TRANSITION VERY WELL, THEIR DEFENSE JUMP IN THE PLAY A LOT. SO JUST MAKING SURE WE’RE GETTING STICKS ON PUCKS, CHALLENGING EVERYBODY, WE’RE NOT GIVING THEM EASY EASY OPPORTUNITIES CAUSE THEY’VE GOT GUYS THAT WILL SCORE ON THOSE. JUST PLAYING TOUGH DEFENSIVELY AND SHOOTING AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. GETTING PUCKS ON NET.”
AND LOOKING AHEAD THIS TEAM WILL ONLY GO AS FAR AS THEIR LEADERS TAKE THEM.
“THIS WEEKEND THEY KIND OF HAD A BREAK-OUT WEEKEND. WE’RE HOPING THAT CONTINUES THROUGH TO THIS NEXT MONTH INTO THE SHOWCASE AND THEN OBVIOUSLY WE GET THAT BREAK. THOSE GUYS STEPPED UP HUGE THIS WEEKEND. DYLAN WITH THE HAT TRICK FRIDAY, HAT TRICK SATURDAY. YOU KNOW FROM THE GROUP AS A WHOLE WE JUST EXPECT THEM TO CONTINUE TO GROW AND MOVE FORWARD.”
THE YELLOWSTONE QUAKE ARE BACK ON THE ICE THIS WEEKEND VS. THE SHERIDAN HAWKS. SHERIDAN HOSTS THE QUAKE FRIDAY NIGHT WHILE YELLOWSTONE IS HOME SATURDAY NIGHT. PUCK DROPS AT 7:30PM BOTH NIGHTS.