Andre Lussier scored four times as the Aldergrove Bruins bounced the Denny’s Saints 8-6 in Sunday’s A final of the Vernon Think Red Bantam Rec Hockey Tournament at Civic Arena.
The local Saints led 1-0 after one period with Chris Gallant connecting from Marcus Finn. It was 5-4 after two with Lussier getting the first four Bruin goals. Josh Lerbeck, Kristian Currie and Mitchell Cousins scored for the Saints.
Nik Wasylyk and Lucas Colgan netted third-period goals for Denny’s, who are 26-4 on the year.
Aldergrove goalie Cole Andrews made a handful of spectacular saves, including a glove stop on a wicked slapshot by game MVP and Saints’ captain Layne Greene from the point.
Gallant, who took a spear to the groin early in the game, pocketed a pair of assists.
Aldergrove spotted the Abbotsford Ice Hawks a 2-0 lead before rallying for a 5-2 semifinal win earlier Sunday.
Denny’s, who topped the round-robin portion of the 10-team tourney at 3-0, got two goals apiece from Currie, Finn, Colgan and Greene in a 12-3 stuffing of the Vernon Authentic Trophy & Plaques Hitmen in the other semifinal.
Wasylyk, Lerbeck and Cousins added singles for the Saints, who got three assists from Max Mitchell. Hannah Scherck, Brenden Zupp and Dustin Schmor replied for the Hitmen.
In preliminary play, the Saints stormed the Westside Wild 11-2, crushed the North Okanagan Knights 17-2 and clipped Abbotsford 4-3.
The ScotiaBank Scorpions outlasted the DCT Chambers Red Bulls 8-7 in the all-Vernon C final at Priest Valley Arena.
Ben Aspenlieder and Rowyn Lewis-Hathlerley each scored twice for the Scorpions, who got 1+2 apiece from Solomon Ivanoff and Aaron Keryluke and other goals from Jeremy Pogue and Landon Munk. Megan Johnston had two helpers.
Munk took a feed from Erin Banning and went coast to coast for the winner with 30 seconds remaining. Scorpion goalie Trey Spanier earned game MVP with 47 saves.
Danielle Butler pulled the hat trick for the Bulls, while Parker Gray and Tim Ufimtseff each earned 1+2 and other goals went to Connor Smidt and Ben James. Russell Day had three assists.
The Corbett Office Plus Sharks took ninth spot with a 9-4 shelling of the North Okanagan Knights at Civic.
Austin Bosquet and Brandon Tarasenko each scored three times for the Sharks, while Anthony Peterson, Isiah Wenger and Brandon DeJong supplied singles.
Cody Donahue, with a pair, Ryan Harder and Mitchell Hentges answered for the Knights.
The Vernon Battery Seagulls doubled North Okanagan 10-5 and ambushed Winfield 12-3 in North Okanagan Midget Super League action.
Clifford High and Sean Connors each pulled hat tricks against the Knights, while Dustin Folliott scored twice and singles went to Brett Vandale, Natalie Johnston in support of Luke Vandale.
In Winfield, High fired four goals, while Ward Mercer and Folliott each netted a pair and singles came from Dixon Louis, Bradley David and Josh Readshaw.
“In both games we talked about trying to play like the Vancouver Canucks,” said Gulls’ head coach Dan Wilson. “We back-checked hard, which led to some nice passing transition goals. We also fed the open point man, with traffic in front of the net, which led to some bullet shots finding their way to the back of the net.”
The Lumby Stars, sponsored by Irly Bird Building Centers and Gudeit Bros. Contracting, stopped the Chase Mustangs 5-0 and iced the Winfield Bruins 5-3 in Bantam Super League play.
In Chase, Zach Kuperus (2), Connor Fair (1+2), Keenan MacDonald, and Kyle Beerstra handled the scoring for the Stars, while Ashley Tinney earned two assists.
On Sunday at Pat Duke Memorial Arena, the Stars got two goals from Connor Fair, 1+2 from MacDonald and singles from Tinney and Reid Hackett. Kuperus had two helpers and Corey Tinney was excellent in net.
The Lumby Atom Stars, sponsored by NOR Renovations, stopped the host North Okanagan Knights 8-3 and doubled Chase 10-5.
Cameron Pryor made some key saves against the Knights, while Josh Litven led the offence with a hat trick. Ryan Desilets added a pair, and Drew Mackenzie, Vanessa Yaremcio, and Tage Kineshanko added singles.
Litven was in net Sunday in Lumby and made several unbelievable saves, while Vanessa Yaremcio had 3+1 and Ryan Desilets and Drew Mackenzie each scored a pair.
Kendra Jones, Cameron Pryor, getting his first goal (a beauty) on a feed from Payton Kineshanko, and Kineshanko, added singles.