White Rock gets set for a pair of crucial games against conference rivals this week, in the midst of seven straight games against Tom Shaw conference opponents.
Following Sunday’s 4-3 comeback victory over the Port Moody Panthers, the Whalers are sitting in a tie for third place with Tuesday’s opponent, the Delta Ice Hawks. Following that match up, the Pod then return home on Saturday night as they welcome the Grandview Steelers to town.
First up, the Ice Hawks. Travelling to the Ladner Leisure Centre on Tuesday night, White Rock can take sole possession of third place in the conference with two points. White Rock is 2-0 on the season so far against Delta, winning 4-3 and 3-0 in the two previous matchups. Whalers leading point scorer Chris Fortems, who is fresh off of grabbing a pair of assists against Port Moody, has already put up three points through the first two games against the ice Hawks this season. The two sides are set to face each other six times in total throughout the season, with the next clash just two weeks away on November 13th. A lot can change in the standings between now and then, however, with a big two points up for grab in Ladner. The puck drops at 7:35 pm on Tuesday with a broadcast available on HockeyTV.
Then, White Rock returns home to its usual Saturday night spot as they host the Grandview Steelers at Centennial Arena. Sitting two points back of White Rock in the standings, the Steelers will have played four fewer games than the Whalers coming into Saturday’s fixture. A golden opportunity to pull further away from the Steelers,
Saturday will be the third of six games between the two sides, with each team sharing the spoils after the first two. White Rock took the first game of the season series in their home opener 5-1, however Grandview backed that up by taking the next meeting 4-1 at the Burnaby Winter Club.
It will be about a month until these two face off again, so there’s a lot to play for on Saturday night. Puck drop will be at 7:30 pm at Centennial Arena, with Ben Righetti and Jordy Cunningham calling the game on HockeyTV. If you do plan on attending the game, be sure to bring a mask and your vaccine passport in order to keep your fellow Whalers fans safe.
Two big chances for White Rock to make some ground on the conference leaders this week, with plenty more PJHL action to go this season. Be sure to support the boys online on HockeyTV and on social media to catch as much action as you can. The Pod will then be back on the road for a Remembrance Day game in Richmond against the Sockeyes before returning home on November 13th to face Delta
