The Sunshine Coast Atom Rep Blues came out flying Sept. 21, winning their first exhibition game of the new season 6-2 in Squamish against the Chiefs.
Right from the drop of the puck, the Blues took control, opening up a 3-0 lead at the end of the first period on goals by Brandon Bezaire, Jaden Fodchuk and Dawson Hall.
Defensive pairs Jake VanKlinken and James Hamilton, and Elann Billbach and Erik Stinson shut down most of the Squamish attack with good positional play.
When the Chiefs did break through, goalie Karson Partridge made whatever save was necessary in his curiously nonchalant style.
In the second period, the Chiefs finally cracked the scoreboard, but after a couple of nice saves from Karson, the Blues re-established their three-goal lead on a late goal by Ethan Geue.
Having re-established the comfy three-goal spread for the start of the third, Dawson scored his second of the game, once again on a close-in, goal-mouth scramble.
Rounding out the Blues scoring, Tyler Zavaglia made it 6-1 with a lovely show of hands with a nifty deak in front of the Chiefs bewildered goalie.
However, late in the game, the Chiefs established some respect with a hard work goal on a fine rush up the ice.
Although kept off the score sheet, second year Rep player Nikolas Hoogendoorn was a force every shift.
First year Atom Kayan Agnew calmly made sweet, under-pressure passes on his way through his first Rep game. The Golden Puck, magically conjured by coach Albert Bezaire in the room after the game, was awarded to Dawson for his strong two-goal effort.
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