Rupert looks to bounce back this weekend as they make the long road trip east as they prepare for a tough doubleheader against Williams Lake and Quesnel.
Coming off its first loss of the season Prince Rupert’s has a steep challenge in front of them.
The road trip out east is a long one, over eight hours of driving and two very tough teams. In the past, the road trip has been difficult for Prince Rupert according to coach Roger Atchison.
“We are in for it when you go on the road trip out there. We’ve only ever tied them out there, at least since I’ve been around,” he said.
The team will hope to carry momentum from a strong season and shake their road woes.
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The team has not yet played Williams Lake but is preparing for what should be a high-octane game.
The teams are placed first and second in league scoring and in league defence. The Stampeders have the edge in scoring, while the Rampage have the edge in team defence.
A positive for the Rampage heading into the weekend is their sterling road record having won every single game.
Williams Lake will be a challenge unlike any Rupert has faced thus far this year. Boasting three of the leagues top five point-getters
“It’s definitely a benchmark game for us, we haven’t had good success there for the past couple of years, we need to have a good road game here,” said Atchison.
The Rampage have, however, played Quesnel this year, and as is tradition it was a scrappy affair between the two rivals.
The teams took 17 penalties for a total of 42 PIMs the last time these two teams butted heads.
Players on the Rampage are expecting more of the same when they head into Quesnel on Sunday.
“Our matchup for whatever reason, us and Quesnel we just go at it harder than usual, and they are gonna want payback for what we did when they came up here.
I expect it to be a pretty tough weekend, we are gonna have to be on our best behaviour if we wanna come out with the win, ” said Atchison.
The final score of their previous matchup was 9-2 in favour of the Rampage, and they hope to keep their offensive firepower in full blast heading into the weekend.
The travel is tough for teams doing the eastern road swing, with the close to one to two hour trip between Williams Lake and Quesnel.
But this doesn’t mean they get to make excuses.
“We aren’t gonna use travel as an excuse, we are just gonna go and give it a whirl,” Atchison said.
The first game of the doubleheader kicks off Saturday night Nov. 17. In Williams Lake at 7:30 p.m.. The Rampage will follow that by heading straight to Quesnel for an afternoon clash with the Kangaroos at 1:00 pm.
READ MORE: Hop, hop and a fourth win for Rupert Rampage
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