The Buy-Low Vixens won the Nelson Blueliners Women’s Hockey Tournament for the second straight year, stopping the Spokane Stars 4-1 in Sunday’s final.
Kelsey Kirkham, with the natural hat trick, on helpers from Leah Mulvihill and Vickie Taylor, paced the Vixens. Amy Irvine also scored on a beautiful saucer pass from Morgan Zoethout.
Other scoring stars for the weekend were Kelsey Halvorson, Christine Bosworth, Cora-Lee Hamilton, Edeen Ramsey, Nichole Gudeit, Cheryl Meier and Cassie Bosworth.
The Vixens, who won the Armstrong ladies league playoff title a week earlier, opened the international event by slamming Spokane 8-1.
The Buy-Low crew then smothered the Shuswap Storm 7-1 before brushing off the Nelson Blueliners 4-3 in a penalty-filled affair.
It was tied midway through and Nelson, facing a must-win situation to reach the final, were pressing hard for the go-ahead goal but net detective Michelle Embleton was brilliant as the Vixens defended numerous 5-on-3 situations.
The Vixens crushed the Kootenay Cougars 7-1 in their last game before the final.
The Vixens will be play their last tournament of the season (Checkers) in Vernon on the April 13 weekend.
