Morning Star Staff
Jaden Foster pulled the Christmas hat trick as the Stevenson Mechanical Thunderbirds bounced the Billy D’s Family Restaurant Xplosion 8-3 in North Okanagan Pee Wee Super Hockey League play Sunday morning at Civic Arena.
The 6-2-1 T-Birds got great goaltending from Jared Ross and Jordan Foster, constant hustle by all their forwards and very stingy defence from Elias Wery, Brady Beacom, Isaac White and Mike Pusey.
Landen Harison (2 +1) opened the scoring on a slick pass from Beacom. Ryan Vandersande followed with two snipes, assists by Pusey and White.
Elias Wery came to the party with a second-period unassisted goal. Jaden Foster cranked it up with two goals in the second and got the hattty with one in the third.
The 3-4-3 Xplosion came out firing in the third period with goals by Aaron Jodoin, captain Zack Laranjo, on a sweet roof job, and Kevin Morgan, on one of his patented solo rushes.
Said Xplosion coach Dan Wilson: “Hockey is a game of momentum and although we lost the game, we ended 2013 on a positive note by winning the third period (3-2) against a very good team, which gives us momentum going into 2014.”
In AtoMc Super League action, the M&K Ready Mix Rockets stormed the Summit Financial Lakers 16-2 before falling 10-6 to the Everton Homes Lightning.
Rockets’ coach Scott Finlayson said Damian Glover led the charge versus the Lakers both on the ice and on the bench, showing outstanding leadership and teamwork, earning the Golden Moment Jersey as player of the game.
Bryce Lauer (6), Glover (3), Brody Wright (3), Bradley Halvorson (3), Riley Kimble and Nic Morgan supplied the offence. Kayden Bowering and Max Stewart played stellar defence in front of Jonathan Finlayson.
Glover and Nolan Thomas each netted a deuce in the loss to the Bolts. Max Stewart and Bradley Halvorson pocketed singles. CJ Maleniza had two good chances in front, but couldn’t quite get a handle on the bouncing puck.
Levi Vanderdeen was bold on defence with some great puck movement while Novice call-ups Austin Seibel, Matthew Kuhnlein and Brady Kuziw played with a lot of heart and grit, with goalie Seibel earning game MVP with several clutch saves to keep the game close.
Jonathan Finlayson won the majority of his faceoffs and David Ivanoff turned in his best skating and positioning so far this season.
Less than 48 hours after being shut out by city rivals Five Star Awards Cougars, the DCT Chambers Marauders found their offence Sunday afternoon against the North Okanagan Knights.
Cole Martin supplied 5+1 as the Marauders tripled the Knights 12-4 in North Okanagan Bantam Super League action at Civic Arena.
Braydie Allen-Webber added 3+1, while Sam Frisby chipped in 2+3.
Evan Winther and Cam Mackenzie each contributed singles, while d-men Zach Agar, Mac Gilchrist and Gaman Nijjar, and forward Tavyn Best all added three helpers to support the steady goaltending of Noah Foufoulas, who went the distance as the Marauders improved to 6-4-1.
Knights’ forward Keaton McCune gave his dad, Greg, who was in the stands watching, a nice birthday present Sunday with a natural third-period hat trick. Captain Jaxson Cummings had the other goal for North Okanagan, who delivered head coach Cindy Graves an early Christmas present Saturday.
The Knights picked up their first win of the season, a 2-0 victory in Salmon Arm over North Broadview Plumbing and Heating. For Graves, it was her first-ever league coaching victory.
McCune and Cummings had the goals while the duo of Levi Peterson and Denver Trumbley posted the shutout.
Tyler Semeniuk moved up to forward and responded with six goals as the Interior Savings Giants stepped all over Salmon Arm Fixt Auto Lumberjacks 9-0 Saturday at the Shaw Centre.
Kaiden Parton, Jed Halvorson and Jaden Steinke produced singles for the Giants (6-5). The Lumberjacks dipped to 2-8.
In Midget play, the Talon Benefits Winterhawks surprised the Lumby Stars 7-5 Saturday at Pat Duke Memorial Arena.
The Winterhawks (2-7-1) got off to a quick start with a goal from captain Rowyn Lewis-Hatherley, assisted by Parker Wadsworth. Bryce Pyle (2+2) , from Wadsworth, and Nick Demetrick, assisted by Bryce Pyle, made it 3-0.
Wadsworth converted a Brennan Seltzer feed and Lewis-Hatherley scored to put the Hawks up 5-0 before Lumby responded. The Stars (7-4) added two snipes after the ice clean, but Pyle then went coast to coast for the Hawks.
Wadsworth went roof daddy after a gorgeous pass by Pyle for the Hawks’ final tally.
Brett Jewell pulled the hat trick as the Nedco Coyotes held off the Vernon Authentic Plaque & Trophy Autobots 5-4 in Midget Super League play Sunday night at Civic Arena.
Adam Roemer and Soloman Ivanoff also scored for the first-place 10-0-1 Coyotes, who outshot the Autobots 59-21.
Lee Brodoway, with a deuce, Isaiah Wenger and Brock Wagner countered for the Autobots (3-4-3).
The Vernon Home Building Centre Vipers lost 7-6 to North Kamloops and 7-5 to Kelowna in Midget Tier 1 action.
Jordan Rea scored twice versus NorKam. Thunderbirds Ryan Vandersande kneeling, is congradulated by his teammate Michael Pusey after scoring a goal during North Okanagan League play.
