Some late-game heroics helped Williams Lake Yellow beat Kamloops 4-3 in a shootout Sunday to win the Williams Lake Bantam House Tournament.
Down 2-0 after Kamloops’ Pierce Huser and John Black both beat Yellow netminder Lane Spooner, Williams Lake turned it around.
Logan Denny, racing down the middle of the ice, put a shot high blocker side past the Kamloops’ goaltender to get his club on the board in the second frame, before Arlen Letnes evened up the score shortly after his team killed off a two-man Kamloops advantage.
In the third period Jared Huston took off on a breakaway down the left-wing boards, burying a shot top shelf to put Yellow up 3-2.
Kamloops, however, tied it up late on a man advantage to send it into a five-minute overtime frame. Kamloops had several chances to claim the championship but couldn’t solve Spooner, as Williams Lake hung on to send the game into a shootout.
There, as Williams Lake’s fifth shooter, Ethan Alexander found the twine to lift Williams Lake Yellow to the 4-3 title win.
“It’s very exciting,” said Yellow head coach Jeff Alexander.
“I can’t believe it — even to get a chance at the gold and it was an excellent tournament.
“This was our toughest game. Any time you play the larger teams out of Kamloops or Prince George it’s exciting when the kids can come through and get the win.”
Williams Lake Yellow went unbeaten in the tournament, which featured out-of-town teams from Prince George, Kamloops and Quesnel.
Final tournament standings were:
• 7th/8th: Quesnel Fountain Tire Black 4, Prince George Teal 2
• 5th/6th: Williams Lake Orange defeated the Prince George Oilers
• 3rd/4th: Williams Lake Blue downed Williams Lake Grey, 8-6
• 1st/2nd: Williams Lake Yellow 4, Kamloops 3.
This weekend Williams Lake midget house teams will host their home tournament at the Cariboo Memorial Recreation Complex. The action kicks off Friday at 4 p.m.
