They called it the Santa Shootout Pee Wee Rec Hockey Tournament.
Fittingly, the Bannister GM Flames and Sub City Donair Devils went 14 shooters before Carly Southam ended the drama in a 5-4 Flames’ victory in Sunday afternoon’s final at Civic Arena.
Both Vernon teams played a tight, defence-first, four-on-four overtime period before going to penalty shots. Chapperon Chillihitza was the lone skater to beat Flames’ goalie Reece Hawthorne, while Jacob Brewer went roof daddy past Dalton Stenberg to keep the Flames alive after two attempts.
“Carly has sweet hands and she had a confident smile when I called her name,” said Flames’ head coach Kevin Mitchell, assisted by Jim Erickson and Jeff Southam. “The kids learned what it takes to win with some inspired play all weekend, and we got all-planet goaltending from Reece.”
Game MVP Nick Mitchell scored twice from the point for the Bannister crew, singles going to Chase Batchelor and Jonas Ramsey, who skated miles to cover Devils’ dynamo Finnian O’Keefe, who still managed to pull the hat trick and earn game MVP. Chillihitza got the 4-4 equalizer on a nifty backhander which fooled Hawthorne with three minutes left.
Alyssa Racine and twins Isaac and Sam White also sparkled on defence for the Flames, who went undefeated in three preliminary games in the 10-team invitational.
Captain Brooke Berube, Southam, game MVP Ramsey and Mitchell scored, while Callum Leong recorded two assists as the Flames doubled the North Delta Ramage 4-2 Saturday night. Orland Kurtenbach, the first captain in the NHL Vancouver Canucks’ history, was in the Flames’ dressing room before that game, meeting players and having photos taken. His grandson played for Semiahmoo of White Rock.
Ramsey (2), game MVP Brewer and Mitchell handled the offence as the Flames toppled the Westside Warriors 4-2.
The Devils, coached by Todd Wenger and Brent Magnus, upended the Winfield Bruins 8-3 and brushed back North Delta 7-3 in Saturday play.
The Kamloops Thunderbirds iced the Bruins 5-1 in the B final.
Sean Howard scored four times as the Butcher Boys Titans used a seven-goal third period in a 9-8 win over the Stevenson Mechanical Blues early in the E final Sunday morning.
Landen Harrison added two goals for the Titans, while Cody Webb bagged a deuce for the Blues.
The Blues went winless in the round-robin, falling 9-1 to Kamloops and 5-2 to North Delta in Saturday action. Colton Riguidel, Halle Higgins-Wilson, Webb and Sam Knox took MVPs.
In Midget Super League play, the Vernon Dudes improved to 9-2 with a pair of home-ice wins.
Goaltenders Corey Lehoux and and Jared Larsen had strong games in a 6-2 win over the Lumby Stars and a 11-3 thumping of the Vernon Authentic Plaque & Trophy Blazers.
Dallas Zupp scored twice versus Lumby, singles going to Taylor Hamilton-Gee, Julian Darkazanli, Brenden Zupp and Marcus Finn.
Brenden Zupp had four snipes against the Blazers, while Hamilton-Gee registered a hat trick and singles went to Lee Brodoway, Dallas Zupp, Finn and Garrett Dansereau.
The Talon Benefits Hawks (9-1) stayed even with the Dudes by outlasting the host Winfield #1 Bruins 11-7 Sunday morning.
Captain Justin Mitchell pocketed 3+1 for the Hawks, while Bryton Stead and Sean Connors each added 2+1. Singles came from Marcus Kehler, Landon Munk, Chase Larsen and Adam Fenske. Larsen and Braden Gilowski, both d-men, each earned three helpers.
The M&K Ready-Mix Demons delivered a balanced attack in an 8-3 victory over the Vernon Mighty Ducks in Atom Super 8 League play Sunday at Priest Valley Arena.
Kevin Morgan (3+1) earned the hat trick, which included a beauty that went top corner, glove side. Shaelyn Cecchini scored twice and Ryan Vandesande (1+2), Dawson Martian and Gage Stoll contributed singles.
The Ducks were robbed at 2:32 of the third when Demons’ goalie Tyler Hamilton made a beautiful glove save which he deflected to Vandesande, who carried it all the way down for the final goal.
In Bantam Super League action, the 6-3-1 Scotiabank Vernon Lightning shocked the North Okanagan Knights 4-3 for the second straight week.
Landon Currie scored the first two goals, putting an amazing backhander high into the net.
With the teams tied 2-2 in the second, Taylor Cousins gave the Lightning the lead before the Knights levelled the score.
Brett Lambert took a painful hit in the third as he blocked a powerful Knight shot from the point, but he got back on his skates and eventually obtained the game-winning goal. The Knights are 4-5.
Sam Eggert earned two assists for the Bolts.
