Tired of finishing second in tournaments, the Talon Benefits stopped host Penticton 5-4 Sunday to win a Midget rec hockey gold medal at Memorial Arena.
Vernon got identical first-period goals that saw Dakota Becker move the puck perfectly to speedy captain Jaden Steinke, who potted both breakaway opportunities.
Mac Gilchrist, Tanner Wright and Jordan Romaillier, with two seconds left in the second period, completed the Thrasher offence. Penticton responded with two third-period goals to make things interesting.
Romaillier also netted two assists in front of stellar goaltender Garrett Adams.
Steinke bagged a deuce as the Thrashers upended West Kelowna 6-1 in the semifinals of the 16-team tournament.
Owen Cusveller, Lorin Cappaletti, Brendan Horsfield and Wright supplied singles.
The Thrashers, coached by Frank Kaempf and Scott Horsfield, went 3-0 in preliminary play, toppling Trail 3-1, zapping Kamloops 5-3 and dispatching Langley 6-3.
Michael Pusey pulled the hat trick against Langley with Steinke (2) and Chris Niehusmann also converting.
Keefer Kaempf scored three times as the Talon crew iced Kamloops. Steinke and Niehusmann also converting.
Capaletti, Wright, with the winner, and Steinke counted goals versus Trail.
Tyler Semeniuk snagged 2+2 as the Nedco Blazers bounced the Vernon Authentic Trophy & Plaque Hawks 8-4 in North Okanagan Midget Super League play Sunday at Civic Arena.
Elias Wery and Adam Young each rang up 2+1 for the Blazers, while Nic Poirier and Dexter Weiten pocketed singles. Reid Lawrence had two helpers.
Landen Harison, Austin Moore, Nick Mann, who went top cheddar, and Kaden Doughty replied for the Hawks, who had just nine skaters. Nick Mitchell drew two assists and captain/birthday boy Cody Webb skated miles despite battling illness.
The Corbett Office Kings grounded the North Okanagan Knights 4-2 in other Midget play.
Noah Cooper scored unassisted on a sweet top-shelf shot to jumpstart the Kings. Cooper and Liam Hennig then clicked with Brogan Houston in front of the net.
Hennig cruised in from the blueline and buried a Riley Bos pass, while Tavyn Best converted on a fray in front.
Jordan King Ryan Desilets answered for the Knights.
The first-place Lumby Stars, sponsored by Great West Equipment and Green Velvet Lawn Care, slammed second-place Salmon Arm Saints 7-2 in Bantam action at the Shaw Centre.
Linden Catt opened the scoring at 40 second, followed quickly by a high slot bullet by captain Conner Seehaver (2+1) on a beauty feed from winger Emma Roine.
Noah Clarke and Tye Krause added singles, while Tage Kineshanko set up a point rocket from Matt Yaremcio to round out the Stars’ offence.
Textbook dee was provided by Emily Romailler and Peter Romailler in both zones. Parker Stadnyk was marvellous in net.
The North Okanagan White Knights went 3-1 in the Osoyoos Atom rec tournament.
The Knights opened with a 5-4 loss to the West Kelowna Rebels, goals coming from Kohen Pounder (2), Aidan Wattie and Waylen Stowards.
Wattie, Stowards and Cody Collette each produced deuces, while Pounder and Parker Levesque earned singles as North Okanagan ambushed South Okanagan 8-2. Pounder provided two helpers.
Wattie exploded with four snipes as the Knights brushed off the Kelowna Ice Hawks 7-4. Pounder, with two, and Stowards, also clicked. Clutch assists came from Allyson McAvoy, Gavin Smith and Phoenix Cardinal.
Stowards (2) and Pounder connected in the Knights’ 3-1 win over the Vernon Ice Army.Brayden Rypkema was solid in net all four games.