<div align="center">Prince George Firebirds @ <span style='color:#150567'>Vancouver Whalers</span></div>
<div align="center">(Game #44)</div>
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<u><div align="center">Starting Lineups</div></u>

<div align="center"> Prince George Firebirds </div>

<b><div align="center">Hylytyr NoRetornable - Casper Jakobsson - Sven Wolf
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<div align="center">Johnny Pollak  - Hunky Monkey</div>
<div align="center">Ben Waters</div></b>

<div align="center"> Vancouver Whalers </div>

<b><div align="center">Conklin Owen - Jon Ross - Ace Redding 
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<div align="center">Theodore Graham - Connor MacDonald</div>
<div align="center">Triforce Link</div></b>

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Brief Synopsis
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Similar to their game a few days prior against the Kelowna Knights. The Vancouver Whalers took a game to the last moments. Winning on a spectacular shootout goal by Patrick Kilgore. Both teams scored a goal at opposing ends of regulation. Olson Stuart of the Whalers and Frederick Boone of the Firebirds scored their goals within the first five minutes of their respective periods. The goaltending duel took center stage as rookie goaltender Ben Waters shrugged off shot after shot on a busy night. Whalers goaltender Triforce Link seemed to have a fairly relaxed game only facing 17 shots in total.

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Game Summary
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Entering this, the 30th season of the SMJHL, prying eyes had focused on the Vancouver Whalers. Retaining many pieces of their championship losing team from season 29; the pressure had been placed squarely on their backs. To return and claim the trophy this time. The opposite was expected of the Prince George Firebirds. Many thought that the Firebirds lineup was much too soft to compete in any way with the big boys of the SMJHL. Coming into Game 44 of the SMJHL season. The Firebirds have begun to shake that stigma. Playing hot and showing the talent of young players like Ben Waters, Eduard Selich, Johnny Pollak and Sven Wolf. The Firebirds have shown a steeled resilience after a rough opening to the season.The game with the Whalers would prove a solid test for the young Firebirds. Coming into Vancouver, both teams riding a solid streak. Someone would leave unhappy this evening.

The first period started out with a bang for the Whalers as Rookie forward Olson Stuart drove a puck to the center of the ice and backhanded it into the top corner over the outstreched reach of rookie goaltender Ben Waters. This seemed to wake up the young keeper who has impressed this season. Stopping all pucks thrown his way the entirety for regulation from that point forward. Waters was tested often as he struggled against many pucks tossed his way by the Vancouver attackers. Waters stood tall and didn't budge, not letting a single puck even close to the back of the net.

Whaler keep Triforce Link had a much easier night. Facing only 17 shots on this evening, While dealing with a much lighter workload, Link still surrendered a goal early in the second to Firebirds center Frederick Boone. Boone redirected a beautiful pass from the charging Barak Obrana. Beating Link through the legs.

Earning his team a point with his spectacular play, Ben Waters entered the shootout confidently. But this confidence would soon falter as he let in a beautiful shot by Conklin Owen. Winger Eduard Selich then tried valiantly to keep the game going with a highlight worthy snipe but the dreams of the Firebirds were dashed and their hearts broken as 4th line center Patrick Kilgore took the puck from center ice and buried it behind goaltender Waters to give the Whalers a final goal and a 2-1 win.

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Game Highlights In Photo
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<div align="center">1st Period</div>

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<div align="center">Vancouver's Olson Stuart pulls a fancy move to put the Whalers up by one in the first.</div>

<div align="center">2nd & 3rd Periods</div>

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<div align="center">Firebirds goaltender Ben Waters makes an acrobatic save on a Vancouver forward.</div>

<div align="center">3rd Period</div>

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<div align="center">Firebirds Center Frederick Boone redirects goal in the first minutes of the third period.</div>

<div align="center">Overtime</div>

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<div align="center">Whalers forward Patrick Kilgore after scoring the game winning shootout goal.</div>

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Post-Game Interviews with Prince George's Ben Waters



You played an extremely solid game today stopping 29 of the 30 shots on you earning your team a point in a very close game. Do feel let down at all by your teammates in a game like this or do these just happen?

Ben Waters: I definitely felt let down by my boys at the beginning, but at the end of the day you have to be able to tell yourself that every game is only one out of 50 and you and your teammates can always go back out there and do better the next game, and I hope to see that my team can back me up in the coming days.

You have had a solid start to your rookie career in the SMJHL. Many predicted the Firebirds to struggle this season. Do you believe this team has a solid shot at the Four Stars Cup?

BW: Eh, you really can't form an opinion too quickly. As a firebird, of course I want to tell myself that we have a shot, but as a hockey fan, this could easily just be a 2014-15 senators situation, and we might not really be as good as we're showing today. We are on paper probably the worst team in the league, but I know my guys have the biggest heart in the league and are gonna put up the points when it matters.

Being a goaltender is a tough job and a lot of goaltenders struggle leaving their game on the ice. What do you do to stay so grounded off the ice?


BW: You know, being so young, I really haven't been able to develop a consistent routine to keep grounded off the ice. When me or my team(or both) do well, I'm flying high for a solid couple days, and when I or my team doesn't do as well as I think we could, it definitely is hard to tell myself that it's just one game, and that the next game will be against a different group of guys, and all in all a different game.

What are your goals this season with the Firebirds? Would you say Four Stars or bust? Or are you more focused on growing as a player?

BW: I think the team’s goals should be division finals. We don’t really have the team to be making a real shot, but we’ve shown that we have what it takes to be a decent playoff contender. I am definitely focused on growing as a player more than all else, because at the end of the day, I’ll be with these guys maybe 3 years max, but I’ll be in the SHL for years to come. My real objective is to have the best possible season so that an SHL team notices, and has the faith in my abilities to pick me up.</div>

Thank you for taking the time to sit down with us Ben.

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Three Stars



Ben Waters (PGF)
29 saves from 30 shots - (0.967), OTL, 5-1-1, 65:00 minutes



Triforce Link (VAN)
Triforce Link (VAN), 16 saves from 17 shots - (0.941), W, 3-2-0, 65:00 minutes</div>

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Patrick Kilgore (VAN)
Game Winning Shootout Goal</div>