Morning Star Staff
They practise together. They share camaraderie throughout the year.
But on Sunday, friendships and bonds gave way to rivalry for an hour at Kal Tire Place as the two Vernon U12 Thompson Okanagan Ringette League teams faced each other for the first time this season.
The league-leading Venom edged the fourth-place Storm 10-9 with the Storm scoring an apparent tying goal a split second after the final buzzer.
There were five lead changes in front of a raucous crowd.
Makenna Jackson opened the scoring for the Venom with a pass from Hillary Quiring, her first of two assists.
The Storm evened it up a minute later with an unassisted tally by Chayse Krause.
The Venom got hat tricks from Jackson, Sierra Fernley (2 assists), and Aimee Skinner (2A), with a solo marker from Sophia Bilodeau.
The Storm answered with hat tricks from Krause and Rhys Taylor-Hawes, and singles from Miah Cohen, Shaila Austin, and Sierra Lochhead.
The playmaking for the Storm was spread out, with additional helpers from Brooklyn Tardiff, Alecia Hughes, Chloe Scabar, and Jasmine Horton.
Spectacular stops were made on both ends of the ice from the Venom’s Jordan Tung (29 saves) and the Storm’s Katrina Winstanley (20 saves).
Both teams won their other weekend games against the Westside WildFire.
The Venom kicked off their Sunday doubleheader with a 10-4 win.
Vernon dominated the first half with seven unanswered goals. Venom sniper Jackson opened the scoring on a feed from Hillary Quiring.
Within minutes, the Venom tallied markers from Quiring, Skinner, and Jackson to take a 4-0 lead.
Their relentless attack continued with two goals from Kristen Francks with assists from Skinner and Amelia Johnson. Jackson completed the hat trick,
Skinner, with two, and Francks completed the Venom scoring in the second half.
The Storm took care of the WildFire 7-4 Saturday.
Austin started the Storm’s attack with a shorthanded goal, set up by Krause, who scored three goals. Lochhead, Taylor-Hawes and Scabar also scored.
Winstanley had a strong game, including a textbook save on a Westside breakaway.
The Vernon Ignite fell 4-2 to Shuswap in U14 action.
Alassa Johnson (2A) and Julie Francis scored for the Ignite with Mackenzie Gilman picking up two assists.
