The Vernon Rellish Transport Bantam A Female Lakers opened up the 2019-2020 hockey season with a northern road trip and taking seven of a possible eight points.
The Lakers made their way to the Cariboo on the Buddy Check for Jesse weekend where the goal is to forego the stigma of mental health challenges and to empower and encourage youth and young adults to support one another. The girls taped their sticks green and wore green bracelets in honor of Jesse Short-Gershman to raise awareness of mental health and to create an environment where teammates support one another and are more aware of potential mental health issues so they are prepared to step in with support when they see a teammate, friend or family member struggling.
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Rellish Transport started their first game of the weekend in Fraser Lake and bus legs were definitely not an issue as they beat the North West Female Hawks 15-4. Shots were 46-8 for the Lakers. Holly Magnus led the team with four goals and two assists, Kaisey Huber with four goals and 1 helper, Parker Davidson with 2+2. Tori Maltman added 1+4, Lily Roberts and Hailee Hunt each had 1+3 and single goals went to Hannah Robertson and Sophie Winstanley. Remaining assists to Hanna Menzies, Faith Seehaver and Winstanley, who won the Queen of Heart crown for the game. Q
In the matinee game versus the Hawks, the Lakers came away with another commanding 10-3 win. Shots were 52-12 for the Lakers and Mya Lesage took another win between the pipes. Davidson sparked the team with a hat trick and an assist, taking the Queen of Heart award for the game. Huber added two goals, and singles came from Roberts, Menzies, Seehaver, Magnus and Willow Elliott. Roberts, Hunt, Elliott and Robertson all had two helpers and singles to Magnus, Huber and Maltman.
The Lakers then headed back to Prince George for some rest and to play a doubleheader with the gritty Prince George Cougars on Sunday.
In the early morning contest, the Lakers beat the Cougars 5-1 with shots 52-10 in favor of the Lakers. Davidson scored twice and singles went to Roberts, Magnus and Maltman. Helpers came from Roberts, Winstanley, Huber, Elliott and Seehaver. The Prince George goalie was hot and held off the team to only five goals.
In the afternoon affair, the penalties proved to be the deciding factor as the girls came up with a 2-2 draw, as well as coming up against a hot goalie. Shots were 40-13 for the Lakers but a powerplay goal by the Cougars in the second period kept this game tied. Huber and Davidson scored the markers and helper to Roberts.
The Lakers play their home opener this weekend when they take on the Kelowna Rockets on Saturday at 11:45 a.m. at Priest Valley Arena.
TIER 1 BANTAM
The North Zone Kings swept a pair of games versus the South Zone Knights over the weekend in Penticton.
In the first game, the North Zone won 8-5 in a physical affair. Rylan Blackstock opened the scoring from Charlie Kehl and Kyle Wheeler. Ryan Howe then added an unassisted goal followed by Erik Pastro with two consecutive goals, both assisted by Kehl and Wheeler. Oscar Mayes then scored unassisted. The Kings added to the lead on goals by Kehl, Hunter Fuoco and Maddux Martin. Assists went to Maguire Nicholson with two and Pastro. Kellan Mooney picked up the win in goal.
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In the second game, South Zone jumped out to a 3-0 lead before the Kings started to take over the game. Wheeler opened the Kings’ scoring from Riley Cormier and Blackstock. Pastro, with his first of two, then got the Kings within a goal from Cormier and Blackstock. Martin tied the game on assists by Gage Parrell and Ryder De Nys. Pastro from Cormier and Trent Thiessen put the Kings up one but South Zone quickly tied it back up.
Howe, on a hard point shot, unassisted, got the game-winner late in the third to give the Kings the 5-4 win. Matthew Kuhnlein picked up the victory in net.
The Kings face the Yukon Rivermen Friday and Saturday in Enderby.
TIER 2 BANTAM
The Vernon Sun Valley Source for Sports Vipers dropped two physical games against Trail in the West Kootenay city over the weekend as the Smokies amassed 59 penalty minutes in the two-game set.
The Vipers, who also taped their sticks green for the Buddy Check for Jesse weekend, lost 4-0 Saturday at Cominco Arena. Quinn Scambler stood tall in net in suffering the loss. On Sunday, after going down 2-0, Bryson Helmer got the Snakes on the board early in the second period with assists to Johnathan Reynolds and Chase Hobenshield. After Trail regained their two-goal lead, Reynolds went end to end to bring the Vipers back within one.
Vernon could not take advantage of several power-play opportunities in the third period and ended up on the wrong side of a 3-2 decision. Goaltender Austin Seibel was solid in taking the loss.
The Vipers continue their four-week long road trip with a league game in Kamloops Saturday against the Junior Blazers.
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