The Vernon Pee Wee Lakers girls shut down the Prince George Cougars 5-1 Sunday in the finals of the Williams Lake Invitational Hockey Tournament.
The opening and closing goals were provided by Emily Clarke, with Andie Kaneda, Makenna Southam and MVP Chelsea Marshall scoring the other three. Assists came from Ailish Curran, Jordan Butler, Kaneda, Cassidy Marshall, Julie McCaig and Mairyn Tucker.
Goalie Samantha Head was incredible the entire tournament.
“The girls represented Vernon exceptionally well the entire weekend and were complimented by the officials on their positive attitudes and love and respect for the game,” said Lakers’ head coach Arnie Head.
Vernon posted three preliminary victories to reach the final, starting with a 6-5 decision over the Williams Lake Timberwolves.
Game MVP Kaneda led the Lakers with 3+1, while Southam scored twice in the third period and Clarke had 1+1. Cassidy Marshall was stellar, assisting on Southam’s first goal. Head stopped a breakaway with 10 seconds to go.
The Lakers then ambushed Kamloops 10-3 with Clarke earning MVP with 4+1 and Southam contributing 2+1 and Marshall and Butler also scoring twice.
Vernon then toppled Prince George 6-4 with Head turning in an outstanding performance. Tucker and Kaneda, with two goals each, Curran and MVP d-man Tiera Joseph, accounted for the Laker offence.
The Vernon Sharks Bantam girls, coached by Rob Bauml, bowed 6-0 to Penticton’s Midget/Bantam team in exhibition play Sunday.
After a shaky start, the Sharks played well against the older Penticton team and generated some good offence from the line of Molly Crandlemire, Brittany Jackson and Erin Poland.
Hannah Scherck, Cailee Bauml and Lexus Adams forechecked well, while Taylor Vandale played forward and defence and Cathou Bauml and Brooke Berube chipped in with some great passing.
Hannah Swift, Chelsea McCaig, Selena Bridge-Hanson, Nikala Debalinhard and Taylor Cousins were huge on defence, clearing many pucks from the scoring area.
Goaltender Bailey Berndt earned the Sharks Star of the Game honours.
The Salmon Arm Midget Tier 1 girls, with several Vernon products on the roster, lost 1-0 to Kelowna in Sunday action.
The Midget girls iced the Kelowna Bantam 1 girls 8-0 in other action, getting four goals from Taylor Lund and two from Sarah Botter. Singles came from Ali Roine and Maddison Turner.
The girls are in the Abbotsford Thanksgiving Tournament this weekend.
