The Vernon Sladen Moore Pee Wee Female Rep Lakers are one win away from advancing to the provincial AAA hockey championships in Vancouver.
The Lakers stopped the Kamloops Mystix 3-0 in Game 1 of their best-of-three playoff series Sunday before a large crowd at the Civic Arena.
Arne Head’s crew brought a combination of speed and tireless effort to the series opener. They also received physical strength and stamina from goalie Samantha Head, who was fabulous in making 39 saves.
Makenna Hoffman (2) and Emily Clarke (1-1) propelled the Lakers, with assists by Mairyn Tucker and Andie Kaneda.
“The entire team hit the ice running and didn’t stop for 105 minutes,” said Laker GM Cindy Graves. “The Vernon girls found themselves with four penalties, leaving them shorthanded for six minutes of stop time.”
Quick defensive play was turned in by Tylee Cooper, Ailish Curran, Amy Fox, Juli Gilowski, Courtney Graves, Tiera Joseph and Makenna Southam. Additional offensive contributions were provided by Jordan Butler, Jenna Fletcher, Cassidy Marshall, Chelsea Marshall, Julia McCaig and Carli Southam.
Game 2 goes Saturday afternoon at the McArthur Island Sport Centre.
The Vernon Machine Bantam Tier 2 Vipers edged the Westside Warriors 4-3 in entertaining exhibition play Saturday.
Kaden Black tied the game 1-1 on a pass from Jarett Campbell for the first of three Vernon power play goals. Richard Thompson scored from Donte Nowell, Zach Manton clicked with an even-strength snipe, on a pass from Black, and Thompson scored the winner, from Bryce Pyle, with 1:42 left.
The penalty kill was working for the Vipers as they didn’t allow one goal against, even killing a full minute of 5-on-3 during the second period.
The K2 Crushers placed fourth in the Kamloops Atom Tournament, finishing with a 4-2 Sunday semifinal loss to first-place Saanich.
D-man Lucas Wood scored twice on breakaways to take MVP for the Crushers. Ty Louis chased the puck aggressively, while Will Higgins-Wilson created some shifty moves and goalie Chayse Turnbull was stellar.
The Crushers exploded in a 9-2 zapping of the Kamloops Ice Breakers Saturday night with MVP Cole Johnston, Wood, Dawson Martian and Nicholas Maglio each scoring twice and Zach Laranjo adding a single.
Johnston pulled the hat trick Saturday morning as the Crushers bowed 9-5 to the Kamloops Yellow Jackets at the McArthur Island Olympic Arena,
Ben Reinhardt and Wood also scored for the Crushers in support of a solid Jaden Stone. Game MVP Brandon Dyck, Shaelyn Cecchini and Caleb James supplied aggressive two-way play to hold Kamloops to one goal in the third period.
The Crushers opened the tourney with a 7-2 win over the Semiahmoo Snipers of White Rock with Johnston scoring three times.
Elyse Dyck recorded her first career goal, while her brother Brandon was denied on a great shorthanded chance and later earned an assist.
Maglio, game MVP Alyssa Reilly, with her first G-note of the season, and Wood, on a late breakaway, completed the scoring. Jackson Sampert, Trevor Moore and Stone had clutch helpers.
