Hunt for the Herder down to a best-of-three: CeeBees head to Clarenville to take on Caribous

news2017-03-31
(Mar. 31, 2017) — With a split in the opening two games of the Herder Memorial Trophy championship series last weekend in Harbour Grace, this year’s provincial senior A senior hockey championships is now a best-of-three. The series — featuring the Avalon East Senior Hockey League champion Harbour Grace Ocean Enterprises CeeBee Stars and the Central West Senior Hockey League’s Clarenville Caribous — continues 8 o’clock tonight with Game 3 at the Eastlink Events Centre in Clarenville. “In a short series you have to take advantage of your opportunities,” says CeeBees coach Ian Moores. “We know Clarenville has the skill to make the most of theirs, so limiting our mistakes is huge.” Adds coach Peter George, “Staying on even a keel as possible will be important and of course being able to ride the momentum swings. “It's going to be a fun entertaining weekend of hockey.” The CeeBees’ strengthening players proved to make a difference in Games 1 and 2, contributing to the scoring and the team’s success behind centre. Northeast Eagles defenceman Dan Cadigan in particular was by all accounts one of the best players on the ice in both contests. It came as no surprises to Moores and George who suggest Cadigan proved he is an elite player in senior hockey. “We asked him to join us not only for his skill but also his character and so far we have gotten that and more out of him, he is certainly playing like an elite player, and a player that wants to show Newfoundland senior hockey exactly what he can do,” says Moores. At the same time, George says the CeeBees’ own elite players like Matthew Thomey, Sam Roberts, Colin Feehan and MVP netminder A.J. Whiffen were major factors in the opening two games. “They have all stepped up their game and shared the work oad of missing our captain Robert Slaney,” insists George. Game 4 is Saturday night at 7:30 and Game 5, if necessary, is set for Sunday afternoon at 2 o’clock.