Blazers box

THE SCORE
Kamloops 4, Portland 0

WHAT HAPPENED
The Blazers jumped on a team that struggles in its zone. After getting up
4-0, Kamloops concentrated on limiting Portland’s chances.

THE SHUTOUT
Kamloops G James Priestner earned the shutout in his second career start and
first this season. He made one start last season, a 6-5 overtime loss to the
visiting Chilliwack Bruins.

THE FIFTH GOAL
The score should have been 5-0 but a goal scored by ex-Portland RW Sasha
Golin at 12:37 of the third period didn’t count. Coming off the right wing,
Golin’s shot snapped off the pipe in the back of the net and bounced out as
play continued. The three on-ice officials apparently thought the puck
struck a post and never entered the net.

THE HEAD-BUTT
Kamloops D Ryan Bender received a double minor for head-butting during a
third-period scrap with Portland’s 6-foot-7 RW Tayler Jordan. Both players
still had their helmets on, it was a short head-butt and Jordan wasn’t
injured, otherwise Bender would be staring at a suspension.

THE STREAK
C Brock Nixon was in on the Blazers’ first six goals this season — scoring
two of them and drawing assists on the other four. The streak ended with the
Blazers’ third goal last night.

THE ROSTER
The Winter Hawks acquired F Kevin Undershute, 20, from the Medicine Hat
Tigers for a 2008 fourth-round bantam draft pick late last week, bringing
their roster to 28 players, including three goaltenders and 16 forwards.

THE SCOOTER
Dean (Scooter) Vrooman, the longtime radio voice of the Winter Hawks who
left the team prior to training camp, starts a new job today as a retail
branch courier for First Independent Bank. He’ll work out off corporate
headquarters in Vancouver, Wash.

THE INITIALS
The Blazers wore the initials ‘DR’ on the left side of their helmets in
honour of Darcy Robinson, the Kamloops-born defenceman who died Thursday
during an Italian league game. A moment of silence in Robinson’s memory was
held prior to the start of last night’s game.

THE DAILY NEWS THREE STARS

1. D Ryan White, Kamloops. Took charge, especially on the penalty kill.

2. RW Kenton Dulle, Kamloops. Takes care of business, earns two assists.

3. G James Priestner, Kamloops. Second career start, first shutout.

UP NEXT
The Swift Current Broncos are here Friday. Game time is 7 p.m.