The 100 Mile Jayco Plumbing and Heating Peewee Rep Milers had their last regular game of the season in Merritt on Jan. 28.
The Milers were playing Merritt who is tied for 1st place in the OMAHA league. The game started out very strong with the Milers playing a very defensive game.
Goaltender Joey Isaac faced more than 25 shots in the first period alone while the Milers could only get three shots on goal. The score was 0-0 by the end of the first. Then going into the second Merritt got a quick goal off the start.
Merritt put the pressure on and scored four more goals.
The 100 Mile team did not give up and Aidan Moore with an assist from Hopson scores another for his team.
Merritt came back with three more goals. Then with the other team on the power play, Hopson used his speed to break out and with an awesome pass to defenceman Shane Sutton he scores a beauty of a goal!
In the third period, the Milers kept working hard but with many penalties and a teammate having to leave the game the team was looking deflated. Hopson wasn’t done yet though and decked the goalie to get the last goal for the Milers. Goalie Joey Isaac faced 88 shots. He made some amazing saves. In the end, the Milers lost 13-4. The team came in ninth place out of 15 teams in the playoff standings. The team was off to Golden for a tournament on Feb. 4.
Game 1
The team was next off to a tournament in Golden on the weekend of Feb. 4 and 5. Having to deal with extreme winter driving conditions and the dreadful time change, the tired 100 Mile team played a game before the sun was up.
The squad didn’t fare so well and lost to the Alberta Sundre Huskies 9-3. Kyson Hopson scored two goals and teammate Jackson Hooper scored 100 Mile’s last goal with an assist from Hopson. Goalie Kyle Harding faced 40 shots on goal. The Heart and Hustle award went to Kyson Hopson.
Game 2
Hoping an afternoon game would be in 100 Mile’s favour, the team played against the Brave Raiders from Edmonton.
The team came out flying. Elias Moore put his team on the board first with a wicked goal from a long pass from Hopson.
The Edmonton team came back with two. Then Hopson got a breakaway and tied it up. Hooper then gave the Milers the lead with an awesome assist from Cameron Scott to end the first period.
In the second, Hopson found the net with a slap shot from the blue line. Edmonton was not letting up and scored three more goals to end the period.
Into the third period, every Miler and goalie Joey Isaac gave 100% and tried their hardest to catch up to the Brave Raiders.
Then Hopson got a hat trick with a spectacular pass from linemate Martin Stillas to tie it up. Next, the Brave Raiders came back with a goal. Each team continued to play hard.
100 Mile kept fighting to the end and pulled their goalie for an extra man advantage but could not pull off the win. The Miler’s lost 6-5. Heart and Hustle award went to defenceman Shane Sutton.
Game 3
Playing another team from Alberta, the Bow Valley 5, the Milers came out skating hard. Captain Hopson tricked the goalie out with a heads up pass from Nolan Duff. Then defenceman Jadyn Monical carried the puck from end to end and scored the second goal to end the first.
Vanessa Betschart was digging in front of the net to get the third goal for the 100 Mile squad. Bow Valley came back with two. Then Hopson got a sweet pass from Shane Sutton to add another to the scoreboard.
The Alberta team got one more in the third but then Hopson broke out and scored to keep his team’s lead. Harding and Isaac shared goaltending duties to give 100 Mile Milers a well deserved 5-3 win over Bow Valley. Heart and Hustle award went to Martin Stillas.
In the end, the team lost out on a playoff spot due to penalty minutes.
The team had a tough draw, as both teams 100 Mile lost to went to the finals. The Peewee Rep Milers played as a team and with great passion.
These traits will be needed as they continue their journey to the provincials in Fernie BC in March.
