They used to play 50-plus games a year all over the North Okanagan and Shuswap, winning more than they lost.
Now, they get together as a tournament team once in a while. And they’re still successful.
The Vernon Mustangs shut down the Bowness Bees of Calgary 3-0 in Sunday’s Men’s 45 Division final at Kal Tire Place.
Power forward Trevor Gilbert, an Edmonton Oiler fan, scored a deuce as the Mustangs took the 28th annual Village Green Recreational Hockey Tournament. Brent Campeau opened the scoring at 16:37 of the first period. Michael Hansma recorded the shutout.
The Mustangs swept preliminary play, bouncing the Bees 4-3, brushing back Checkers Pistones 4-1 and icing the Forest Height Stars of Calgary 5-3.
Chris Holm converted a feed from John Box as the Mustangs stopped the Bees, while Holm and Gilbert each garnered 1+1 versus the Stars. Speedster Rob Edwards registered 1+1 and former Washington Capitals prospect Steve Cousins, with an empty-netter, led the Mustangs past the Pistones.
The Mustangs won a $500 Best Buy gift card in a random draw.
The Pistones got 12 points from the line of Darrell Spencer (3+1). Rob Bauml (2+3) and Kevin Mitchell (3A) in a 10-3 ambush of Forest Height of Calgary Saturday night at Civic.
Gerry Geisbrecht, with 1+2, Kevin Manke, Kevin Cleland, Kyle Neil and Rob Morris finished the Pistones’ offence in front of a sensational Jamie Bond. Dale McAllister earned three helpers.
The Pistones tied Bowness 3-3 in their feisty opener on goals from Neil, McAllister and Spencer.
Joe DeCarlo pocketed 2+1 as the Kelowna Beerhounds clipped the Savona Swampdonkeys 6-5 in the Men’s 40 Division 1 final at Civic Arena.
Bill Burden bagged 1+2, while Chris Joyce, Eric Rice and Jim Ballam completed the Beerhounds’ offence in from of Shawn Morrison. Chris Farmer pulled the hat trick, while Mark Smith and Andre Bromley added singles for the Swampmonkeys.
Jordan Cyr dialed 2+2 as Team Wicked of Vernon/Quesnel toppled the Back Road Map Books of Lumby 8-4 in the Men’s 40 Division 2 final at Priest Valley Arena.
Ex-Portland Winterhawk superstar Troy Mick also scored twice for Wicked, who got singles from Brent Weightman, Justin Derkatch, Kemp Redl and Waylon L’heurex.
Mick set up five goals as Wicked stuffed OMH of Hope 8-2 Saturday at Kal Tire Place. Rick Vetter and Derkatch each bagged deuces.
L’heurex fired three goals as Wicked throttled TC Trucking 9-2 Saturday at Civic.
Justin Horochuk, Mat Lambert and Branden Anderson each pulled hat tricks as Pucked Up of Vernon held off the Roc Star Rebels of Lumby 11-5 in the Men’s 35 final at PV.
Steve Vallier and Blair Fernley contribued singles for Pucked Up. Edwards, who played for two teams on the weekend, Dylan Gamache and Curtis Summerfelt also scored for the Rebels.
Lambert and Donnie Hunter, with three snipes apiece, and Anderson, Fernley and Chad Richards, with a pair each, sparked Pucked Up to a 13-3 wipeout of the Bulldogs.
Pucked Up opened the tourney by grounding the Northern Lights Storm 8-4 of Quesnel with Lambert scoring twice.
Grey Fox of Williams Lake, playing in Division 2 group, took the Most Sportsmanlike Team, collecting a $500 Best Buy gift card.
“The Back Road Map Books team went to the wrong rink and showed up half an hour late wearing the same coloured jerseys as Grey Fox,” said tourney director Mike Knights. “Grey Fox lend them a set of jerseys and proceded to lose both periods. I thought was pretty good sportsmanship.”
Delinah Erbenich produced two goals as the Kelowna Liquidators upended the Thirsty Beavers of Grindrod 7-3 in the Women’s Division 1 final at Civic.
Holly Pruden, Kathleen Olesiejuk, Nikki Love, Natalya Reid and Susan McGuigan also tallied fror the Liquidators. Kali Kuchta, Wendy Bueckert and Lisa Batke countered for the Thirsty Beavers.
The Cowgirls parlayed two goals from Sasha MacMillan into a 5-0 win over Black Betty’s of Grand Forks in the Women’s Division 2 final at Kal Tire Place.
In earlier preliminary play, Black Betty’s fell 6-5 to the Cowgirls with Jen Gallo pulling the hatty for the Cowgirls. Rochelle Smith (2), Angelina Starchuk, Alyssa Reid and Gabrille Herle responded for Black Betty’s.