The Five Star Awards Rebels came away with a win and a tie in four games at the Nakusp Bantam Tournament.
Vernon opened with losses to Kelowna (3-0) and Salmon Arm (4-1). Owen Swiscoski finally moved the Rebels’ offence into gear with a greasy goal late in the second game.
The Rebels then brushed past the West Kelowna Dusters 3-2 Saturday night. On an early penalty kill, Jakob Aeichele kicked out a Duster bid to Sapion Joe, and he tore up the ice, gifting the puck to Jayden Veit for a top-shelf shortie.
Next, Cole Grevatt sprang Braydon Beese, and he converted with a high-speed deke to the backhand. Midway through the third, Joe again went long distance and fired the winner.
Joe also opened the scoring against the North Okanagan Knights on Sunday, deflecting Maisun Ang-Hamilton’s point shot up and over the goalie. Ang-Hamilton then popped one himself off the rush. Trailing 4-2 in the third, Quinn Soon went end-to-end and Caleb James jammed home the rebound.
In the last minute of play, Joe and Beese worked the puck back to Soon at the point. Soon walked the line and wired a rising wrister in off the iron to tie the game 4-4. Game MVP Awards went to Tyler Kruysifix, Ang-Hamilton, and Veit.
The North Okanagan White Knights iced the Lumby Stars 9-1 and grounded Vernon Summit Financial 10-2 in Atom action.
Aidan Wattie and Kohen Pounder each scored twice as the Knights stopped the Stars. Singles went to Kash Enns, his first of the season, Parker Levesque, Cody Collette, Kade Blair and Waylen Stowards.
Wattie and Pounder each pulled hat tricks versus Vernon, while Levesque supplied a deuce and singles came from Stowards and Alex Hart. Brayden Rypkema was in net for both wins.
The Talon Benefits Thrashers shut down the Vernon Authentic Trophy & Plaque Hawks 7-0 in Midget Super League play Sunday at Priest Valley Arena.
Jaden Steinke produced a hatty for the first-place Thrashers (10-0-4), who got deuces from Brendan Horsfield and Keefer Kaempf. Tanner Wright earned two assists. The Hawks fell to 8-7-1.
Captain Cody Webb counted five snipes as the Hawks stuffed Lakeside Printing 11-0 Saturday night at the Shaw Centre in Salmon Arm.
Sean Howard (2), Evan Winther, Nick Mitchell, Tiege Doughty and Steve Benischek completed the offence in front of Nick Maglio and Bantam call-up Jarret Ross. Hometown Hockey TV star Nick Mann pocketed a pair of assists.
The Hawks borrowed Thrasher all-star goalie Isaac Waldemaras for inter-city play Monday night and Waldemaras was spectaular in a 2-0 Hawk win over the Thrashers.
Austin Moore scored both Hawk goals, shooting wide on a great chance for the hat trick into an empty net in the final seconds.
The Nedco Blazers went 1-3 in the Kamloops rec tournament, finishing with a 6-2 consolation side win Sunday over the North Okanagan Knights.
Colton Schaper-Kotter (2), Tyler Semeniuk (2), Reid Lawrence (1+2), and Elias Wery handled the Blazer offence with Adam Young getting two helpers in support of game MVP Noah Foufoulas.
The Blazers faced three tough Kamloops teams in the round-robin opening with a 4-1 loss Friday (goal to MVP Dexter Weiten).
They lost 8-6 Saturday morning despite outshooting Kamloops 61-23 with MVP Young and Tyler Semeniuk each scoring twice and singles going to Tanner Bueckert and Aaron Jodoin. Dexter Weiten had three assists and Tanner Franje-Gilbert and Lawrence two apiece.
The Nedco boys bowed 6-4 Saturday night with MVP and hat-trick boy Semeniuk connecting on a penalty shot with his mom and aunt videoing the shot. Lawrence had the other snipe.