The Salmon Arm Fix Auto Atom Saints defeated the Vernon Lightning in Atom recreational hockey action this past Saturday, but fell to the first place Lumby Stars on Sunday.
On Saturday versus Vernon, the Saints jumped out to a 1-0 lead with just under five minutes to play in the first. Two more unanswered goals saw them carry a 3-0 lead until the halfway point in the game. Vernon then came back with two unanswered goals of their own, before the teams traded goals to post the Saints to a 4-3 lead going into the second intermission.
The Saints scored five goals in the third to the Lightning’s two, to take the game by a 9-5 final. Goals for the Saints came from Zander Stewart (2), Caden Sherman (2), Trent Poroznuk (2), and Dominic Barbosa with the hat trick.
In Sunday’s game, the Saints fell 6-3 to the Lumby Stars. The Saints struck first in period number one, Barbosa tucking in a rebound at the halfway mark of the first. The Saints nearly got out of the first period with the lead, but the Stars’ relentless pressure proved too much for the boys from Salmon Arm, and the they finally got on the board with less than a minute to play in the first.
The Stars’ centre busted through the D and put in their second goal of the game just 11 seconds into the second period. The Saints appeared to tie it up a few moments later, but the goal was waved off as the officials blew their whistle before noticing the puck in the back of the net. Barbosa got his second of the game halfway through the frame to tie it up, and the teams went into the third period tied 2-2.
Salmon Arm pulled ahead 55 seconds into the third on a goal from Caden Sherman, but they couldn’t hold back the highly skilled and physical Stars. Lumby stormed back with four goals of their own, to defeat the Saints by a 6-3 margin.
To the wire
On Saturday, Feb. 4, the L. Turner Salmon Arm Silvertips faced off against Winfield at the Shaw Centre.
It was an exciting game, with no score for either team after two periods of play.
In the third period the ’Tips were on a penalty kill when Cole Nisse got a pass back to the blue line from Joshua Olson, and slapped it into the net.
With only two minutes left in the game, Winfield pulled their goalie to put a sixth attacker out on the ice, only to lose the puck to Jackson Mayes, who fired it into the empty net, giving Salmon Arm a 2 – 0 lead and win.
On Sunday, the ’Tips travelled to Kamloops to face Kamloops #2.
As always, it turned out to be a battle between the two teams.
Unfortunately Salmon Arm ended up on the losing end of a 6-4 score.
Salmon Arm goals were scored by Colby Feist, Riley Keyes, Colton Irmen and Cole Nisse.
