The Vernon Dudes won the 16-team Penticton Midget Rec Hockey Tournament last weekend, grounding the Abbotsford Hawks 5-3 in the final.
Kyle Evans opened the offence with a blast from the point, Kristian Currie bagged a pair of goals and Marcus Finn added one to put the Dudes up 4-3 after two periods.
After trading chances and powerplays in a fast-paced third period, and with 3:31 left, Lee Brodoway picked off a pass at the blueline and connected on a howitzer top shelf, for insurance.
Tournament game MVP awards went to Taylor Hamilton-Gee, Brenden Zupp, Currie and goalies Corey Lehoux and Jared Larsen.
“I thought we were a bit rusty in the first game and our timing was off but we got stronger as the tourney wore on,” said Dudes’ coach Darren Zupp.
“We had stellar goaltending all weekend from Corey Lehoux and Jared Larsen. Our defence played with grit and our forwards were very creative with the puck. Daryl Brodoway (assistant) and I were very proud of the way the kids played and handled themselves all weekend.”
After opening by shutting down the Westside Royals 3-0, bouncing the Chilliwack Bruins 5-2 and stopping the Semiahmoo Ravens of White Rock 6-1 in pool play, the Dudes doubled the Langley Eagles 10-5 in the semis.
After opening an early 3-0 lead on goals by Evans, Brenden Zupp and Dallas Zupp, the Eagles clawed back. Garrett Dansereau and Finn also scored, but Langley kept it a close 6-5 game heading into the third period.
The Dudes turned on the jets in the final frame and reeled off four unanswered goals by Julian Darkazanli (2), Hamilton-Gee and Dallas Zupp.
Bolts buzz Bulldogs
The Vernon Scotiabank Lightning blasted off a great start to the year with a 6-2 win over the Five Star Awards Bulldogs in North Okanagan Bantam Super Hockey League action Sunday at Civic Arena.
The 5-7 Bulldogs struck first with two seconds left in the opening period, but Branden Lehoux zapped one past Five Star Award goalie Rowan Wood to tie the game near the middle mark of the second period. Less than two minutes later, Sam Frisby capitalized on a powerplay to give the Bolts a 2-1 lead.
Brett Lambert then slotted home a nice shot five-hole on another Lightning powerplay.
The Bulldogs nipped back with Brennan Seltzer’s second of the game, but the Lightning were flying high and bombarded the Bulldogs with a flurry of shots. Jed Halvorson made it 4-2 Bolts before defenceman Ryan Jakes was denied by Wood on a breakaway.
Landon Currie and Hayden Varden completed the scoring for the 7-3-1 Lightning.
Christopher Nielsen earned his first career hat trick as the DCT Chambers Coyotes zapped North Broadview Plumbing & Heating of Salmon Arm 8-4 Saturday at Priest Valley Arena.
Dex Elders pocketed 2+2 as the Coyotes improved to 10-2. Parker Wadsworth had 1+3, Jacob Marshall added 1+2 and sparkplug Riley Bos scored once. Noah Foufoulas and Jacob Holland shared the win.
Flyers ground Knights
The Interior Savings Flyers got a hat trick from Adam Roemer and two goals from Cole Bradley in a 7-0 smothering of the North Okanagan Knights Saturday at Civic.
Jake Pelletier and Jaden Steinke, who is having an amazing rookie season, completed the 10-1 Flyers’ attack. Darnell Hauca, Brendan Horsfield, Ryan Lazar, Kendra Ostafie, Keefer Kaempf and Kaylan Lawrence kept the puck moving, while Jakob Alexis, Tiege Doughty, Hauca and Bradley were solid in support of a stellar Garrett Adams.
Devils snuff Flames
Brayden Beacom, Seb Wenger and Finnian O’Keefe each produced 2+1 as the Sub City Donair Devils brushed back the Bannister GM Flames 7-6 Sunday at Priest Valley Arena.
Abbey Magnus also scored for the 9-1-1 Devils.
Nick Mitchell (2), Aaron Jodoin, Jonas Ramsey, Chase Batchelor and Carly Southam replied for the Flames in what was a re-match of the Vernon tournament final, won by the Flames.
In Saturday play, host Winfield #1 Bruins rallied for five unanswered third-period goals in a 5-3 win over the Flames.
Keilan Cutting provided three goals in just over three minutes, including the winner with 2:39 left, as the Bruins went to 11-0-1. Alyssa Racine, with her first snipe of the season, Ramsey and Mitchell countered for the Flames.
Slick centre Reid Lawrence was a one-man wrecking crew Sunday morning in Winfield, scoring four times as the Stevenson Mechanical Blues bounced the Bruins 4-2 in Pee Wee action.
After the Bruins snapped Blues goalie Dylan Blazek’s shutout streak at 82:10 early in the second period, Lawrence went to work. He scored two goals two minutes apart and then later in the period, stepped out of the penalty box, picked up a loose puck at centre ice, beat a defender and snapped a shot past the Bruins’ goalie.
After Winfield cut the lead to one seven minutes into the third period, Lawrence potted his fourth at 8:57, beating a d-man to the outside, cutting in and deking the goalie to slide the puck into an open net.
Blazek and Sam Knox were both outstanding as they combined for 37 saves.
Lawrence had a goal and two assists Saturday as the Blues dumped the hometown Sicamous Predators 5-2.
Keenon Jeberg was the beneficiary of Lawrence’s helpers, crashing the net and burying rebounds off Lawrence’s shots past Sicamous goalie Tyler Kruger.
Colton Riguidel, snapping a one-timer from a Cody Webb pass, and Braydie Allen-Webber added the other goals for the Blues, who gave defenceman Angelina Mayer a win on her 13th birthday.
Kruger was the best player for the Predators, making a handful of highlight-reel glove saves for the 9-2-3 Blues.
Stars battle for draw
The Lumby Stars, sponsored by Kineshanko Logging Ltd. and Terry’s Automotive, battled the North Okanagan Knights to a 3-3 tie and iced the Salmon Arm Titans 5-1 in Pee Wee road games.
Josh Litven, on a solo effort, Morgan Holland, assisted by Litven, and Cameron Pryor, on a rebound of a shot from Trayton Phillips, handled the Lumby attack in Armstrong. Stars’ goalie Tage Kineshanko was brilliant, especially during a crazy scramble in the final minute. Stars of the game were Litven and Payton and Kineshanko.
In Salmon Arm, Quin Williamson, after a nice pass from linemate Payton Kineshanko, Litven, with a deuce, Kineshanko, from Litven, and Litven, with his hat trick, supplied the Lumby goals.
Matthew Yaremcio was solid in net, getting great support from Payton Kineshanko, Emily Romailler, Vanessa Yaremcio, Jordan Romailler and Trayton Phillips. Cameron Pryor and Morgan Holland hustled out on the solid offensive lines. Stars of the game were Romailler, Litven and Tage Kineshanko.
In Atom Super League regular-season play on Saturday, the M&K Ready-Mix Demons upended the Winfield Bruins 10-1 with Shaelyn Cecchini, Christopher Bond, Dawson Martian and Ryan Vandesande each scoring twice and singles going to Gage Stoll and Jordyn Morris, with Kevin Morgan bagging three assists.
In other Atom play Sunday at Civic, Denny’s Ice Rockets powered to a 6-1 win over the Lakeside Accuprint Vernon Thunder.
The Thunder struck first when Nicolas Petty converted on a breakaway. Rocket Reilly Teager leveled the game with a brilliant effort. Taking a pass from Bradley Halvorson, Teager darted over the Thunder line, cut wide around the defence, and while falling, slipped a backhand shot through the goalie’s pads.
The Thunder looked to regain the lead as Nicolas Petty broke in alone once more, but Rocket netminder Eric Foufoulas kept his team square with a timely poke check.
With a minute to go in the first, the Rockets’ line of Teager, Maddex Minard and Quinn Soon applied intense puck pressure in the Thunder zone. Soon pounced on a loose puck in the slot, and snapped the go-ahead goal upstairs.
Sapien Joe extended the Rockets’ lead on a rising shot after a play started by Bradley Halvorson and Derek Pereboom.
Early in the third, Joe cleared the puck to Liam Remple who took off on a solo rush up the middle. After some slick moves, Remple notched the Rockets’ fourth, tucking it in on the backhand.
Remple created the next goal as well, accepting a Shaun Huizinga pass in the left wing corner and firing it on net. Teager cashed in the loose change to make it 5-1.
Late in the final period, Teager sprung Bradley Halvorson. Splitting the D with a burst of speed, Halvorson went glove side, picking the low corner and turning the red light on.
In exhibition play, the Demons overtook the Vernon Mighty Ducks 6-2 with Martian pulling the hat trick and Cecchini, Vandesande and Bond providing singles. Ty Louis had two helpers. D-men Vandesande, Stoll, Morgan and Nick Tilby sparkled in front of Kassidy Schaper-Kotter, who made several key stops.
