The atmosphere at the Mayvin Milers Midget Reps first home game of the season was electric, with close to 300 excited fans packing the stands.
The Milers declawed the Prince George Cougars with a 4-1 win on Nov. 24, their first of two weekend games played at the South Cariboo Rec. Centre (SCRC) in 100 Mile House.
Jacob Ricketts opened the scoring less than a minute into the game for the Milers. The Cougars answered back at the end of the period, but it would be their only goal of the contest.
A second-period marker by Ben Ryan put the Milers ahead again and another by Brayden Sanford widened the gap. Adrianna Johnson notched the lone goal in the third. Trenten Jorgensen was in goal for the Milers.
Team manager Kersti Foote says the crowd in the stands made the game.
“It was great to see all of the hockey fans out there supporting the hometown kids.”
She adds players had been busy earlier in the day at school, pumping up fellow students about the game and they were rewarded with a huge turnout.
“For the first home game of the season, it was fantastic.”
Sunday’s match-up with Lillooet Pistons ended in a disappointing 7-4 loss for the Milers.
Lillooet was up by three in the first before Johnson put the Milers on the scoreboard midway through the frame. Michael Montgomery backed it up with another goal a minute later but the Pistons scored twice more to end the period with a 5-2 lead.
The Milers struck twice in the second frame with another goal from Johnson and one from Derek Popadinac to narrow the gap to a 5-4 deficit, but the third period belonged to the Pistons who added two more markers.
The game saw about 150 fans in the stands, which Foote regards as good for a Sunday morning.
“Both teams were surprised and delighted to have that many people watching them.”
Both games were exhibition matches.
The next home games will see the Milers take on Mackenzie Knights in league play on Dec. 8 at 6 p.m. and again on Dec. 9 at 8:15 a.m.
