AFTER A WEEKEND SPLIT WITH THE BUTTE COBRAS THE YELLOWSTONE QUAKE CLOSED OUT THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER 5-3-2. THE QUAKE NOW SPORT AN 8-14-2 OVERALL RECORD, GOOD FOR 5TH PLACE IN THE FRONTIER DIVISION. WITH TWO AND A HALF MONTHS OF HOCKEY IN THE BOOKS HEAD COACH PHIL OBERLIN GIVES A QUICK RECAP OF THE SEASON’S FIRST HALF.
“THE SECOND QUARTER OF THE SEASON, YOU KNOW I THINK YOU COULD SEE THAT THE GUYS ARE STARTING TO PIECE THE GAME TOGETHER. AGAIN, THAT’S WHAT WE WANT TO SEE IS, CONSTANT IMPROVEMENT AND CONSTANT MOVEMENT FORWARD AND THAT WE’RE NOT TAKING STEPS BACK. I THINK WE’RE PRETTY CONFIDENT IN THE SECOND QUARTER OF THAT FIRST HALF. YOU KNOW AND THEN MOVING INTO IT WE’RE KIND OF LOOKING INTO THESE NEXT TWO WEEKENDS AS BEING BIG HURDLES GOING INTO THE SECOND HALF.”
UP NEXT ON THE SCHEDULE IS A FACE-OFF WITH GREAT FALLS WITH THE SHOWCASE TOURNAMENT THE FOLLOWING WEEKEND. THE AMERICANS ARE THE ONLY TEAM THE QUAKE HAVE YET TO BEAT THIS YEAR. COACH OBERLIN GIVES A PREVIEW OF THIS CONTEST.
“THEY DO A VERY GOOD JOB OF PUCK PURSUIT. IN THEIR STRUCTURE THEY’RE PRETTY AGGRESSIVE DOWN THE WALLS AND OUR WINGS, SO YOU KNOW BREAKING THE PUCK OUT CLEAN IS GOING TO BE HUGE THIS WEEKEND. AND JUST THEIR PUCK POSSESSION, ONCE THEY GAIN THE PUCK IN THE OFFENSIVE ZONE THEY DON’T TEND TO GIVE IT UP REAL EASY. SO THEY SHOOT THE PUCK A TON, SO YOU KNOW BLOCKING SHOTS IS GOING TO BE A HUGE ASPECT THIS WEEKEND.”
WITH THAT BEING SAID HE ADDS WHAT THE FOCAL POINT IS AT PRACTICE THIS WEEK.
“IT’LL PROBABLY BE FOCUSED AGAIN ON OUR BREAKOUTS. BREAKING THE PUCK OUT CLEAN, LOOKING AT KIND OF WHERE WE CAN EXPOSE THEM ON THAT, AND THEN AGAIN JUST THE COMPETE LEVEL THAT WE’VE BEEN DOING OVER THE LAST MONTH OR SO. ADDING SOME PRESSURE TO THE GUYS IN PRACTICE HAS, I THOUGHT, HAS GIVEN THEM A LOT BETTER PREPARATION FOR GOING INTO THE GAMES.”
THIS IS A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT QUAKE TEAM THAN THEY WERE IN OCTOBER WHEN THEY LAST PLAYED GREAT FALLS AND COACH OBERLIN SAYS THE TEAMS ADDED DEPTH COULD BE THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE THIS TIME AROUND.
“WE’RE ALMOST AT FOUR LINES NOW SO, I THINK BEING ABLE TO REST THOSE TOP GUYS AND EVERYTHING LIKE THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE AND ROLL OUR LINES. I WOULD SAY WE HAD A GOOD WEEKEND OUT OF OUR THIRD LINE THIS PAST WEEKEND, NOT ON THE SCOREBOARD BUT SPENDING TIME IN THE OFFENSIVE ZONE, YOU KNOW SO WEARIND DOWN ON THE OPPOSITION’S DEFENSE-MEN, EVERYTHING LIKE THAT. SO IF THEY COULD CHIP IN WITH A GOAL OR TWO THIS WEEKEND AND GIVE US A LITTLE BIT MORE DEPTH IN SCORING I THINK THAT’D BE HUGE.”
THE YELLOWSTONE QUAKE LOOK TO END THE FIRST HALF OF DIVISIONAL PLAY ON A HIGH NOTE AS THEY TRAVEL TO GREAT FALLS. YOU CAN CATCH THE QUAKE IN ACTION FRIDAY AND SATURDAY WITH PUCK DROPPING AT 7:30 BOTH NIGHTS.
