The 4-on-4 hockey tournament that was held last month at the South Cariboo Recreation Centre ended in dramatic fashion.
The championship game between Clearwater’s Hackers and 100 Mile House’s South Cariboo Motor Sports on Sunday, March 24 was a competitive one with both teams matching one another in points. It looked like the game was going into an overtime shootout with both teams tied 4-4 with 10 seconds left on the clock.
Kenneth McKay had a hat trick for the Hackers with Jared Walker also scoring a goal. Meanwhile, the South Cariboo Motor Sports had a hat trick of their own thanks to Eli Jarvis, with Tyler Robinson also having scored a goal for them.
With five seconds left, 100 Mile House’s Nathan Zurak scored in dramatic fashion, ending the game and preventing a shootout.
Roy Nichol, who played for the South Cariboo Motor Sports, said that Zurak’s last-second goal made the whole team feel good.
“We’ve worked hard all weekend for it, so I think we earned it.”
For winning the tournament, South Cariboo Motor Sports were given Bauer T-shirts. The Motor Sports team had an undefeated record throughout the tournament, dispatching the Iceoholics 10-5, Family Tradition 12-1, the Dirk Digglers 14-3, and then beating the Iceoholics again 12-3.
The Hackers were no pushovers either: they also were undefeated until the finals beating the Dirk Digglers 11-3, the Iceoholics 14-11, and Family Tradition 13-4 and the Canadiens 13-6 in the semi-finals.
Darcy Elliot, who played for the Hackers, said although they lost the game, it was still quite an enjoyable experience.
“It was a good, hard battle the whole way through - unfortunately they ended up on the bottom end of it, but no complaints.”
When asked why a team from Clearwater made the journey to 100 Mile House to play in the tournament, Elliot said that playing with other people was why.
“It’s just good to get out and play with different people - and you know it’s a good weekend out with the boys.”
Laura Albert, the programs and sales coordinator at the South Cariboo Rec Centre- said they organized the tournament to give players one last opportunity to get together before the South Cariboo Rec Centre’s ice season ends. She was happy to see the Hackers from Clearwater in the tournament.
“It was great seeing Clearwater come to 100 Mile to participate in the tournament, and happy to see them make it into the final.”
Albert hopes that the tournament can become an annual event for the South Cariboo Rec Centre.
