By Kyra Hopson
The 100 Mile Bantam Rep Wranglers sponsored by Napa Auto Parts were down in Vernon this past weekend for a tier three tournament. Even though the 100 Mile team is tier four, they were able to give each team they played some good competition.
Game 1
The 100 Mile Wranglers played their first game against the Langley Eagles. 100 Mile got on the board first with a backhand goal from Colton Sanford with an assist from Virgil Kennedy. Then Langley tied it up to end the first period.
Into the second period, the Wranglers were short-handed and defenceman Colby Glen scored with an assist from Kyson Hopson. After the ice clean Hopson scored a goal bar down on a breakaway with a sweet pass from Alex Kuyek. Then the Eagles tied it up.
It was 3-3 throughout the third period with each team battling hard. Then with only six seconds left the Langley Eagles scored. The Wranglers lost 4-3. Goaltender Ryan Chamberlain won the MVP.
Game 2
100 Mile Wranglers second game was against the Quesnel Thunder a tier two team from the Cariboo. The Thunder scored two quick goals to open up the scoring. The Wranglers then got a short-handed goal by Aidan Moore with an assist from Kyson Hopson. Quesnel then got two more. Next, Hopson scored with an assist from Cole Allan. By the end of the first, it was 2-4 for Quesnel.
The Thunder came out of the gate fast and scored a goal one minute into the second.
Hopson then returned the favour and got a goal with an assist from Allan. Then Mary Isaac sent a beauty of a pass to Allan to score another.
The close score didn’t last long as Quesnel got three more. Then Kennedy hit the net and by the end of the second Quesnel was leading 8-5.
In the third, Moore scored a short-handed goal. followed by another goal from Quesnel. Next, Glen took a slap shot from the blue line and scored with an awesome tip in from Allan. The Wranglers kept fighting hard and with a rebound from Hopson’s shot, Allan got it in the net!
It was now 9-8 with four minutes on the clock. The team pulled goalie Joey Isaac in hopes of having the extra man advantage to try and tie it up but the Thunder ended up getting an empty net goal. Unfortunately, this rattled the team and the Thunder got one more in the last seconds of play. The Wranglers lost 11-8. MVP went to Cole Allan.
Game 3
The third game was against the Semiahmoo Ravens from White Rock. The Ravens were not ready for the fast-paced physical play of the 100 Mile team.
The first goal was scored by Allan with the assist going to Hopson. Then with a heads up pass from Sanford, Hopson scored a short-handed goal. Next, with a shot from the blue line, Moore added another goal. Glen scored a fourth goal with a pass from forward Colton Huber Hopkins.
Into the second, Hopson potted a shorthanded goal from a pass from Moore. Semiahmoo got on the board on a power play. Then Hopson found the back of the net with a pass from Kennedy. Hopson slid one by the goalie with a pass from Glen. Then Glen scored.
The 100 Mile team kept the pressure on and after being tripped, Hopson made a pass from his stomach to add an assist to a sweet goal scored by Brayden Myers Brundage. To end the second Moore added one with an assist from Kennedy.
Into the third, the 100 Mile Wranglers scored five more goals: Allan from Kennedy, Hopson from Kennedy, Hopson from Hannah Duff, Glen from Kennedy , Glen from Isaac. Colby Glen got a hat trick and Kyson Hopson got two hat tricks in the game. The final was 15-1. MVP went to Colby Glen.
Game 4
The Wrangler’s last game of the tournament was against the West Kelowna Warriors. The Warriors came out strong and scored four goals in the first and four goals in the second.
100 Mile got on the scoreboard in the second with a great goal from Kennedy and an assist from Moore. The team continued to work hard playing a physical game.
Into the third, Brundage scored 100 Mile’s last goal of the game with an assist from Hopson. The game ended 8-2 for West Kelowna. MVP went to Aidan Moore.
Overall, the 100 Mile Wranglers placed sixth out of eight teams. Host city Vernon won the tournament. The team played lots of great hockey and showed good effort in all games played.