Playing their first games of the season at home nearly four weeks into the season, the Valencia Flyers looked great at times against the rival Long Beach Bombers but also left some things to be desired. Head Coach Jocelyn Langlois expressed a need for his team to develop a “killer instinct” if they hope to ascend the Western Division standings this season.

Friday October 14

Long Beach: 2
Flyers: 3

Playing in front of a capacity crowd, the Flyers got off to a hot start and onto the scoreboard first on a goal scored by newly acquired forward J.P. Bouchard. Bouchard, who played for the Boston Jr. Blackhawks in 2010-2011, played just hours after a lengthy plane ride from his hometown in Quebec, Canada when he put home a rebound off of a Kris Guitard shot 8:18 into the opening period. Eddie Keshishian also notched an assist on the game’s opening goal, which gave him points in seven straight games.

Less than three minutes later the Bombers struck back when Stephen White corralled a loose puck in front of Flyers’ goaltender Stephen Palmer and lifted it into the upper part of the net. Eric LaPorte and A.J. Martinez garnered the assists on White’s first goal of the season.

With the scored tied after a period of play the Flyers started the second much like they did the first. The Flyers had several chances early in the period but were stoned by Long Beach goaltender Salvatore Tecci on every attempt.

Looking to pull back ahead on the power play, the Flyers got sloppy and Long Beach made them pay. Rookie forward Tyler Forest knocked the puck away from Albert Boyamyan just inside the Long Beach blue line and raced in all alone, beating Stephen Palmer with a wrist shot over the glove to give the Bombers the 2-1 lead.

The third period was more of the same, as the Flyers came out firing, peppering Long Beach goaltender Salvatore Tecci with 19 shots. This time however, the home team kept it consistent for the entire 20 minutes.

While shorthanded mid-way through the period, the Flyers were able to pull even on a goal scored by Eddie Keshishian.

Eric Czarnick’s constant forecheck caused Bomber defenseman A.J. Martinez to lose control of the puck in the corner of his own zone. With one hand on his stick Czarnick was able to push the puck toward Keshishian, who was breaking to the side of the Long Beach net. Everyone in the building thought the veteran forward was going to carry the puck around the back of the net, when he threw the puck off the back of Tecci’s leg and into the net.

With all of the momentum on their side the Flyers continued to pressure the Bombers’ defense with a constant forecheck and it eventually paid off.

With just 2:50 left in regulation Bombers’ forward Stephen White was exhausted when he got called for a tripping minor. The Flyers power play had failed on its five previous chances in the contest but came through when it counted most.

After working the puck around in the Long Beach zone, Sam Khongmuk found a seam in the Bombers’ defense. Defenseman Preston Nowak was able to sneak down below the faceoff circle and one-time a perfect pass from Khongmuk over the pad of Tecci to send the crowd into a frenzy.  J.P. Bouchard notched his second point of the night on the goal with the secondary assist.

Long Beach would push back late and nearly tied it up, but Stephen Palmer stood strong and the Flyers prevailed 3-2 in front of an electric home crowd.

Palmer got the win for the second consecutive game, stopping 25 of 27 Long Beach shots.

Tecci, the hard luck loser, kept the Bombers in the game all night, stopping 32 of 35 shots, including 15 scoring chances. The Bombers only mustered four scoring chances all game in comparison.

Saturday October 15

Long Beach: 4
Flyers: 2

The next evening the Bombers were the ones who came out with a jump in their step and converted twice just 2:18 into regulation.

Stephen White once again scored the first goal of the game for the Bombers, banging home another rebound from close range with assists going to Eric LaPorte and Robby Johnson just 52 seconds in.

1:26 later, Justin Hopkinson wristed a shot past goaltender Donny Snediker from the slot on the next shot of the game to extend the visitors lead to two.

The Bombers would keep the pace the entire period and hold on to the 2-0 lead after 20 minutes of play.

The Flyers once again rebounded in the second period, as rookie defenseman Dillon Thomas one-timed a shot off a faceoff over the shoulder of Salvatore Tecci to pull the Flyers within one.

Late in the period however, Billy Bormann potted a goal for the visitors off of a turnover by J.P. Bouchard deep in his own end to hand the Bombers the two goal lead back.

Bouchard atoned for the turnover just over a minute later when he put home a rebound off a Kris Guitard shot, for his second goal in as many nights. Thomas picked up the secondary assist on the goal, giving him his first career multi-point game in junior hockey.

Energized in the third the Flyers once again made Tecci work for his money. Numerous times the Flyers had great chances, including three or four while on a 5-3 power play late in regulation but Tecci consistently turned them away with ease.

Eric LaPorte added an empty-netter with less than a second on the clock, as Long Beach escaped 4-2 for their first win of the season and first win under new Head Coach Chris White.

Snediker took the loss in net, dropping him to 0-2 on the season. The rookie allowed goals on the first two shots he faced but stopped 30 of 31 the rest of the way.

Tecci got his first win in a Bombers uniform, after playing last year for the Bakersfield Jr. Condors who have moved to Ogden Utah and been renamed the Ogden Mustangs. The Las Vegas native stopped 34 of 36 Valencia shots, including numerous “Grade A” scoring chances.

The Flyers currently sit alone in 5^th place in the Western Division with a record of 2-5-2, four points back of the Arizona Redhawks.

The Flyers will enjoy a much needed off week before returning to action October 28-30 against the Phoenix Knights at Ice Station Valencia, where tickets start as low as just $5!