SPORTS FLASHBACK 1989: Streaking Comets hot as HTHL race tightens
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 01/01/2024 (443 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
One of the most popular players in the Steinbach Huskies lineup during their historic run for the Allan Cup in the spring of 1979 was not nearly as popular with the Steinbach fans when he returned to town a decade later behind the bench of the Lorette Comets as a rookie coach in the Hanover Tache Hockey League.
Tommy D’Amico’s Comets did not get off to the best start in the 1987-88 season and may only be playing 0.500 hockey, but the team served notice they are still a force to be reckoned with in the North Division of the HTHL.
Lorette has been on a tear of late, and after winning only twice in their first 10 games, have won five in a row, just one point out of second place, and six behind the division leading Ste Anne Aces.
The Comets’ latest win came in overtime in Steinbach Saturday night, when Lorette spotted the home team three goals from Huskies player/coach Ken Krentz in the first five minutes before staging a dramatic comeback.
Krentz opened the scoring at the 2:42 mark of the game and then combined with Bart Lohr and Earl Coleman on a power play a minute later to make it 2-0. The Steinbach playing coach completed his hat trick with a third goal at the 5:04 mark of the first.
The Comets came back with goals by Dean Lacasse and Dave Naaykens before the first period ended and then evened things up with a Blair Pope marker six minutes into the second.
The Huskies regained the lead midway through the second on a Rick Kornelson goal, but the visitors responded with markers from Scott Naaykens and Andy Gauthier to take a 5-4 lead after 40 minutes.
Krentz evened the score for Steinbach with his fourth goal of night with just two minutes remaining in the game.
The Huskies had an opportunity off the faceoff in overtime to settle matters, but the Comets cleared the puck out of their end and Ron Simard took a pass from Dave Naaykens to end the game 35 seconds into the extra frame.
The victory over the Huskies followed wins over Landmark, St Malo, Grunthal and Ste Anne, giving rookie coach D’Amico and his Comets seven wins and a tie in the first 16 games of the season.