3View: Yellowstone Quake
September 7, 2018
The 3View series will feature an in-depth look into all NA3HL teams in preparation for the 2018-19 season, with two teams being highlighted daily, leading all the way up until the start of the regular season. 3View goes in-depth into each NA3HL team and will include interviews with all the head coaches in the NA3HL, as they provide fans with their expectations and outlook for the 2018-19 season, including taking a look at their potential roster and their strengths as a team for the upcoming season. It will also take a look back on the 2017-18 season and how each team fared and what they accomplished. Best of all, 3View will provide the fans of the NA3HL with an inside look at their favorite team and what to expect.
Yellowstone Quake
2017-18 Record: 35-7-5, 75 pts. (1st in the Frontier Division)
2018 Playoffs: Won the Frontier Division; Lost in the Fraser Cup Round-Robin
Head Coach: Phil Oberlin
2018-19 Division: Frontier
The Yellowstone Quake played their first season in the NA3HL back in 2014-2015. Coached by Phil Oberlin, the Quake are located in Cody, Wyoming.
After missing the playoffs in their first season in the NA3HL, the Quake have won three consecutive Regular Season Division Titles. The club advanced all the way to the Fraser Cup, before coming up short in the 2017-18 season.
As Phil Oberlin takes over as the new Head Coach for the Yellowstone Quake, he is looking forward to challenge of coaching a team that has had so much success over the past couple of years.
“Being an incoming coach and new to the program, I can’t speak in depth about last year’s team,” Oberlin said. “The obvious observation after looking at their record and reaching the Fraser Cup for the third consecutive year, I would say they had a pretty good year.”
Being new to the program, Oberlin spent a lot of time in the offseason meeting and interacting with his new team.
“I had the pleasure to meet some of the players from the previous year in person and every interaction has been a positive one,” Oberlin said. “We have had open conversation about ultimately putting them in situations where they can succeed moving forward.”
Oberlin also thanked all the former Quake players that have helped grow the program and wished them best of luck moving on in their hockey career.
Coming into a program as a new coach can often be extremely difficult. Therefore, Oberlin’s main focus for building a team was finding players who are dedicated and love the game.
“We want players who are excited to play the game,” Oberlin said. “Players who want to be part of a great organization and strive to improve on a daily basis.”
In addition to the building a team for the upcoming season, Oberlin is already working on finding opportunities for his players to potentially move on and play higher level hockey.
“We are making contacts with Tier 2 programs and college programs in order to build those relationships for our players down the road,” Oberlin said. “We’re also pushing a much larger social media campaign this year to get our players names and faces out nationally.”
Oberlin also stated that him and his staff will do everything it takes to get their players a chance to chase their ultimate hockey dreams.
“Anything we can do to assist our players in moving forward with their hockey careers, we’re going to do it.”
One of the great ways for these athletes to showcase their talent to higher level coaches is through the league-wide events the NA3HL puts on throughout the season.
Oberlin has been very impressed with the work the league has done with these events.
“Any event the league can create in order to showcase the players is fantastic,” Oberlin said. “Player development and promotion is what the NA3HL is all about, so any time we can showcase our players, we should be doing it.”
As the 2018-2019 season approaches, the Quake will look to win their 4th straight Division title and first Fraser Cup Championship.
The Quake will open the year at home against the Great Falls Americans on Friday, September 14th.
