It was a near perfect weekend for Quesnel’s Thunder rep hockey teams as they hosted teams from Prince George and Williams Lake.
The midget tier three hockey team ended the weekend with a 6-0 win Sunday over the tier two Williams Lake Timberwolves, a team they had yet to beat this season.
All it took was a few adjustments.
“We made some adjustments to our team defense and systems,” coach Peter Andrews said.
“The boys played very well, very consistently each period.”
That consistency translated into the Thunder scoring two goals each period.
Saturday’s match up against the Timberwolves was much closer, as the teams skated to a 4-4 draw, after trading two goals in the first period and a goal apiece in each of the second and third periods, including a hat trick from captain Cole Thibault.
Despite the close score, the Thunder had the game in hand as they led 4-3 with just six minutes to play in the third period thanks to Joel Amundson who roofed a shot glove-side from the slot to give his team the lead.
With time running out, however, Williams Lake pulled their netminder for an extra attacker and the move paid off as Jayden Noar pounced on a loose puck at the top of the crease and shovelled it past Thunder netminder Zack Leslie.
Andrews could find no fault on the goal with his netminder, who had kept his team in the game, especially at the start of the second period when his teammates allowed the T’Wolves three consecutive breakaways and each time Leslie held his ground to keep Williams Lake off the scoresheet.
“He got slashed in the face that knocked his helmet off,” Andrews said of the scrum that let to the loose puck that ended up in the net.
“He made some really good saves for us, that’s what kept us in the third period.”
Unlike Sunday’s game, Saturday’s 4-4 draw left a little to be desired on the defensive side of the puck.
“Our defense just didn’t move the puck as quick as I would have liked,” Andrews said.
In addition to improving on defense, Andrews acknowledged the better play for his third and fourth lines as the season has progressed, something he feels gives his team an advantage.
“They’re a lot stronger and a lot smarter with the puck,” Andrews said.
“It allows us to roll four lines and keep a good tempo to the game.
“Every line has a chance to score.”
The Bantam Thunder tier three hockey team also had a good weekend and a busy one at that with four games on the schedule.
The bantam Thunder started their weekend with a set of games Sunday against the visiting tier two Prince George Cougars.
The Thunder took both games, 7-1 Saturday morning and 6-1 Saturday afternoon.
In the morning game, the Thunder staked themselves a 3-1 lead in the first period, on goals from Brayden Dale, Ian Jarvis and Jesse Roach.
Jarvis completed the hat-trick with a pair of goals in the second period to give the Thunder a 5-1 lead going into the final frame.
Cheyann Newman, who earned a spot on the northwest zone U16 BC girls team, lit up the lamp for the Thunder in the third period, as did Keith Redden.
Redden, 13, attributed his recent success, including a bucket of goals in Kamloops last weekend, to a renewed attention to his effort.
“Effort, I’m trying a lot harder right now,” Redden, who had six goals on the weekend said.
“This year I’m always trying as hard as I can.”
Also putting a solid effort for the bantam Thunder was blueliner Tavis Roch.
Roch, 14, who collected a few goals and a fistful of assists, noted his game had improved as well, particularly a more consistent effort, but also his communication.
“I do a lot more talking with my teammates on the ice,” Roch who enjoys watching P.K. Subban of the Montreal Canadiens play said.
The bantam Thunder rounded out their weekend feasting on the tier three Williams Lake Timberwolves, taking the early game 17-0 and the afternoon game 9-1.
Jessie Roach led the Thunder with six goals in the two games.
“It was a good team effort,” Thunder coach Brian Kozak said.
“They did the little things right.”
Rounding out the weekend, the peewee Thunder faced the Cougars from Prince George.
The Thunder came out slow in the early game as they watched Prince George take a 2-0 lead into the first intermission.
“It’s kind of been the pattern lately, we sit on our heels at the beginning of the game,” coach Dustin Peacock said of his team that has regularly had the upper hand on tier two teams all season.
“We have a good enough team to set the pace of the game, but we don’t do that sometimes.
“I don’t know why.”
The teams traded goals in the second period as the peewee Thunder found their legs and began applying some pressure.
Down by a goal, the heroics landed squarely on the shoulders of Myles MatTila who scored the tying goal with just over six minutes to play.
“It was a pretty good game, but we missed a couple of chances to win the game,” he said.
The peewee Thunder played with fire in the second game, getting off to another slow start, but this time they couldn’t get back into the game and watched the Cougars leave town with a 3-0 win.
