GLANBROOK (Jan. 8) -- The Glanbrook Rangers are fully aware that the road to playoff success will almost inevitably have to travel through Grimsby.  So, while nothing is guaranteed, they must be feeling pretty good about themselves after an electrifying 2-0 victory over their divisional arch-rivals.

"Having positive outcomes, especially against Grimsby, is very uplifting to our team's confidence," said leading scorer Noah Bollert after the win, which was Glanbrook's second consecutive shutout triumph over the Peach Kings. "The results are proof of our true potential and ability to win big games."

And the games don't come any bigger than this one, with first place in the South Bloomfield Division still up for grabs,  It was a barn-burner of a battle from the outset between two teams that couldn't be more evenly matched.  The adveraries attacked and counter-attacked through two frenetically paced periods, in which the Peach Kings sought to establish physical superiority from the outset.  But the Rangers didn't wither under the pressure. 

"We handled their physicality by simply sticking to our game plan of speed and good puck movement," said Bollert.  "We are at a point where we can adapt well to the teams we play and are more disciplined when we face teams who try to instigate physically."

Superb goaltending by both Glanbrook's Matt Lukic and Grimsby's Riley Maskell brought the game into a tense equilibrium as each side probed for the decisive breakthrough, which finally came at the 11:40 mark of the third period on a faceoff in the Grimsby zone.

"I got tied up on the draw," described Bollert, "but I kicked the puck back to (defenceman) Dallas Nadasdi at the point.  He took a low shot and the rebound ended up in the corner where  Noah Matteson cycled it down low to me.  That left Connor McQuhae  open in the slot.  I made a move to the right and sent a backhand pass to McQuhae coming towards the net.  A defender was putting on pressure behind him, but he buried a perfect one-timer top right in the net." 

After that, Lukic, who made a staggering 48 saves and earned his second shutout (both against Grimsby), and the Rangers' defence held the fort the rest of the way, and McQuhae ensured the gratifying victory with an empty-net goal at 19:22.

The triumph puts the Rangers just one point behind the Peach Kings in the Bloomfield Division and evened the teams' season record at 3-3.  They won't face each other again this season until a potential playoff encounter, and, for now at least, the Rangers are on a roll. 

"Little by little, we see a bit more of what we've been working on have an effect in our play," said Rangers coach Mike Christian.  "The guys who are supposed to be checking are checking, the guys who are supposed to be scoring are scoring. We like what we see." 

NOTES:  McQuhae's two goals give him 16 on the year.  The 20-year-old winger has 15 points (7 goals, 8 assists) in his last eight games ... Lukic chalked up his PJHL-best 17th win in 22 appearances, and his 1.71 goals-against average is fourth best among goalies with more than 10 games.  The Rangers have won three of their last four outings against the Peach Kings.  Head-to-head the teams were a symmetrical 3-3 with 12 goals apiece.   

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