WHAT A SEASON IT WAS FOR THE YELLOWSTONE QUAKE. AFTER BEGINNING THE SEASON 3-13 THE QUAKE FINISHED THE YEAR WITH A 19-25-2-1 OVERALL RECORD GOOD FOR 4TH PLACE IN THE FRONTIER DIVISION. THE QUAKE THEN HOSTED GILLETTE IN THE FIRST ROUND OF THE PLAYOFFS. AFTER WINNING GAME ONE, 4-1, GAME TWO WENT IN OVERTIME ON A POWER PLAY. THE QUAKE WERE SET TO TAKE ON BOZEMAN IN THE SECOND ROUND WHEN THE SEASON WAS CANCELLED DUE TO THE CORONAVIRUS. I CAUGHT UP WITH HEAD COACH OF THE QUAKE PHIL OBERLIN AND HE GIVES A SUMMARY OF THE SEASON.
“MAKING THAT JUMP FROM LAST PLACE TO FOURTH PLACE WITH A FIRST ROUND HOME ICE ADVANTAGE IN THE PLAYOFFS, THEN SWEEPING THAT FIRST ROUND AND IT’S KIND OF UP IN THE AIR WHAT WE WOULD HAVE DONE AFTER THAT. IT’S HUGE FOR THE RECRUITING PART OF IT. WE’LL PROBABLY END UP WITH 8-12 GUYS COMING BACK WHICH IS WHAT WE HAD LAST YEAR, SO THAT’S A GOOD CORE TO START WITH. WE WOULD EXPECT NEXT YEAR TO IMPROVE. WE MIGHT NOT WIN THE REGULAR SEASON EVERY YEAR BUT WE WANT TO BE IN THE MIX AND I THINK WE DID A GOOD JOB STEPPING TOWARD’S THAT GOAL THIS YEAR.”
THE QUAKE MISSED OUT ON THE POST SEASON A YEAR AGO AND WHILE THIS YEAR’S REIGN IN THE POSTSEASON WAS CUT SHORT COACH OBERLIN SAYS THE EXPERIENCE IS ONE THIS TEAM WILL NEVER FORGET.
“HAPPY WITH WHERE THEY CAME THIS YEAR AND HOW THEY FINISHED THE YEAR, EVEN THOUGH IT DIDN’T FINISH THE WAY THAT WE WANTED IT. WE AT LEAST ENDED ON A SWEEP AND A MEMORABLE WIN IN OVERTIME TO FINISH IN FRONT OF THE HOME CROWD AS WELL AT REILLY ARENA. I THINK THE GUYS ENJOYED IT AND IT WAS DEFINITELY EARNED.”
AMIDST THE CORONAVIRUS MANY COMBINES AND CAMPS HAVE BEEN CANCELLED. THAT CAN MAKE RECRUITING DIFFICULT WITH THE DRAFT SCHEDULED FOR LATE APRIL. COACH OBERLIN WITH AN OVERVIEW OF WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE QUAKE.
JUNE AND THEN INTO JULY ARE ALL THE NA (NORTH AMERICAN HOCKEY LEAGUE) CAMPS. AND THEN MAY THERE’S STILL SOME CAMPS THAT ARE SCHEDULED BUT WE’LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS. THE BIG THING RIGHT NOW IS HOPEFULLY IF WE CAN GET THROUGH THIS A LOT OF THE NA TEAMS ARE STILL HAVING THEIR CAMPS. RIGHT NOW WE’RE TRYING TO HELP THEM OUT WITH FINDING KIDS TO KIND OF FILL THOSE CAMPS AND OBVIOUSLY IN TURN, HOPEFULLY, IF WE’RE ABLE TO HELP THEM OUT WITH THAT, THEN MAYBE WE’RE ABLE TO FIND SOME KIDS THAT WAY AS WELL.”
THOSE CAMPS CAN BE A HOT BED FOR RECRUITING AND WITH THAT COACH OBERLIN GIVES AN INSIGHT INTO THE TYPES OF PLAYERS HE’S LOOKING TO SIGN.
“AS A PROGRAM WE’RE TRYING TO STAY YOUNG. WHAT WE’RE REALLY LOOKING AT IS THE KIDS THAT ARE MAKING THE JUMP FROM U-16 TO U-18. SO IT’S THEIR FIRST YEAR U-18. LOOKING FOR THOSE TRIPLE-A KIDS THAT ARE KIND OF ON THE BUBBLE, A LOT OF THE KIDS ARE YOUNGER. THE BUBBLE TRIPLE-A KIDS, HIGH SCHOOL PLAYERS THAT ARE LOOKING AT MAKING THAT JUMP TO TRIPLE-A. THOSE ARE THE ONE’S THAT WE’RE REALLY PUSHING TO GET AFTER CAUSE WE WANT TO TRY TO HELP THEM TO HOPEFULLY MAKE THAT JUMP.”
STAY TUNED TO THE BIG HORN RADIO NETWORK ALL OFF-SEASON FOR MORE ON YELLOWSTONE QUAKE HOCKEY.
“JUST PROUD OF THE GUYS FOR WHAT THEY ACCOMPLISHED THIS YEAR. THEY WORKED HARD ALL YEAR. VERY HAPPY WITH THE EFFORT ALL YEAR, THE CHARACTER. THEY NEVER QUIT AND I THINK THAT SHOWED ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE VERY BEGINNING OF THE YEAR TO THE ABSOLUTE END OF IT. WITH EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED IT WAS NICE TO SEE, ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND EVERYTHING, A LOT OF GOOD FEEDBACK FROM THE FANS. EVERYTHING WAS POSITIVE. IT WAS FANTASTIC TO SEE THE SUPPORT THAT WAS COMING OUT FROM PEOPLE.”
