The Denny’s Saints held off the Lumby Stars 4-3 Saturday to clinch the North Okanagan Bantam Super Hockey League title at Pat Duke Memorial Arena.
Centre Kristian Currie took a great breakaway pass from defenceman Marcus Finn as he stepped out of the penalty box and went bar down on Stars’ goalie Corey Tinney with 3:53 remaining.
Currie had earlier opened the 15-1 Saints’ scoring in the first period, while Lucas Colgan and Finn also supplied snipes.
Colgan, Finn, Chris Gallant and Josh Lerbeck took turns on defence alongside Mitch Cousins and Max Mitchell with captain Layne Greene and veteran Taylor Maxwell away on skiing trips.
Shale Williamson, Edwin Hayman and Zach Kuperus replied for the Stars (5-6-2), who are sponsored by Irly Bird Building Centres and Gudeit Bros. Contracting. Corey Tinney was fabulous in net for the Stars as he faced more than 60 shots.
Denny’s open the Vernon 10-team Think Red home tourney todaty at 4 p.m. against the Westside Wild at Civic.
On Sunday, the Stars fell 5-2 to the Vernon Corbett Office Plus Sharks.
Brandon Tarasenko (3) and Kolton Kirschner (2) scored for the 5-9-1 Sharks, while Logan Meier and Keenan MacDonald scored for Lumby.
The Five Star Award Bulldogs struck silver in the Penticton Pee Wee Mid Winter Break Out, falling 5-3 to Aldergrove in the final.
Kobe Romanovitch (1) and Tanner Graham (2) scored for the Dawgs, whose goalie Ethan Huizinga was recognized by tourney officials for his stellar weekend play.
Earlier, the Bulldogs tied Penticton 4-4 with Graham (2), Austin Pickard and Brennan Seltzer handling the offence. Huizinga was an easy choice for game MVP.
The Five Star crew then outlasted Hope 7-6 with Nic Poirier named game MVP for his solid defensive play. Romanovitch scored five times, while Graham netted the winner with 1:42 to play.
The Dawgs then edged another Penticton entry 5-4 Saturday afternoon with Romanovitch (2), Graham, game MVP Nick Demetrick and Kris Chastko, off a beautiful pass from Seltzer, with 1.4 seconds left, earning the goals.
In the semifinals Sunday morning, the Bulldogs stopped the Westside Grizzlies 8-7 in overtime.
Romanovitch scored five times, while Chastko had one before Seltzer slammed in the winner with 1:53 remaining in OT, assisted by Hannah Swift and Romanovitch.
The Vernon Sladen Moore Lakers went 2-1-1 at their home Pee Wee A Female tournament.
Vernon opened the four-team event by tying Kamloops 1-1 Friday night in a physical tilt at Wesbild Centre. Makenna Hoffman had Vernon’s lone goal, while game MVP was Andie Kaneda.
The initial meeting between Clearwater and Vernon Saturday morning at Wesbild provided lots of entertainment as Easton Gilowski buried a rebound from a Jordyn Pimm shot, less than a minute into a 5-1 Laker victory.
Emily Clarke had a pair of markers, while Kaneda and Molly Box added singles.
A huge help to the defence was the ferocious forecheck of Chelsea Marshall and Jordan Butler. Their efforts complemented the shutdown ability of defencemen Tylee Cooper, Ailish Curran and Cassidy Marshall who helped limit Clearwater to less than a dozen shots. Kim Whitelaw was great in goal and the Heart & Hustle winner was Clarke.
Vernon’s toughest challenge came from the eventual tournament champions from Surrey Saturday afternoon at Wesbild in a 6-2 loss.
The opening pace was like a category-four hurricane with Chelsea McCaig and Makenna Southam doing their Bobby Orr impersonations.
Breanna Booth showed her versatility by pulling both forward and defence duties. Bailey Berndt helped Vernon weather the early storm in net and allowed the short-staffed Lakers to regroup. It was close until late but the local girls fell 6-2 in the end. Heart & Hustle award went to Hoffman.
Vernon ended up playing Clearwater in the consolation final Sunday morning at Civic Arena on a technicality. They obviously missed their head coach Keith Tucker and standout forward Mairyn Tucker in a 3-2 loss. Taylor Vandale got Vernon’s first goal, while Kaneda had a shorty. Box received the Heart and Hustle.
Salmon Arm doubled the Butcher Boys Red Wings 6-3 in North Okanagan Pee Wee Super League action Sunday in Vernon.
Carter Bosquet, Steele Pelletier and Cole Benjaminsen scored for the Wings.
The Lumby Tirecraft/Nor Renovations/Backyard Bobcat Novice C Stars lost 17-5 to the Kelowna Devils Saturday at Pat Duke Memorial Arena before recording a 7-1 victory over Westside #4.
Nic Teale led the Stars with a hat-trick in the loss with Noah Clarke (1+1) and Mathew Yaremcio completing the attaxck.
Clarke was in goal for the Stars in the win and made several great saves. Conner Seehaver picked up a hat-trick, while Quin Williamson (2), Teale (1+2) and Matthew Yaremcio all connected.
