Kyra Hopson
100 Mile Bantam Rep Wranglers Safety
The 100 Mile Bantam Rep Wranglers were on a hockey road trip this past weekend. Their first stop was in Osoyoos on Friday night, with Trail on Saturday and Castlegar on Sunday.
The South Okanagan team came out strong getting on the scoreboard first. Then 100 Mile Wranglers scored but the goal was called off. This rattled the team and the South Okanagan team scored another goal and by the end of the first, it was 2-0. In the second period, both teams were battling hard with goaltender Joey Isaac saving shot after shot and the period ending in 2-0 for Osoyoos. In the third, the South Okanagan team got two more goals securing their lead to 4-0. Then Kyson Hopson found the back of the net on a sharp angle shot and got his team riled up. Then Hopson was able to tip a killer shot from defenceman Cole Allan to brringthe score closer.
The home team was feeling the pressure and with two minutes left, winger Colton Huber Hopkins passed the puck up to Hopson on a breakaway and then Hopson passed it to defenceman Brayden Meyers-Brundage who scored the third goal.
With just over a minute left on the clock, Coach Gordon Moore pulled the goalie to give the team an extra man advantage to try and tie it up. The teams played a quick, passing, shooting checking game and came up short with South Okanagan sealing the win with an empty-net goal. The Wranglers lost 5-3.
On Saturday, the 100 Mile Bantam Rep Wranglers headed to Trail to play the Greater Trail Smoke Eaters. Both teams came out in the first period playing a very physical game. 100 Mile got on the scoreboard first with a sweet goal from winger Brady Huryn. Then defenceman Colby Glen was fed the puck from Hopson and winger Alex Kuyek to score a wicked second goal.
The Smoke Eaters were putting the pressure on the 100 Mile team and scored four goals to end the first. Going into the second, Trail never led up their attack and the Wranglers had a hard time getting the puck out of their end. Then Hopson got a sweet pass from Huryn to add the last goal for the 100 Mile Squad. The Wranglers continued to play a physical game which led to 36 penalty minutes doubling the hometown penalties. Goaltender Ryan Chamberlain had some amazing saves. He was peppered with shots and took a total of 100 shots on net! In the end, the Smoke Eaters took the win.
On Sunday, the Wranglers played the Castlegar Rebels at the Beaver Valley arena. Castlegar opened the scoring first and then 100 Mile tied it up when Hopson got the rebound off a hard shot from winger Aidan Moore.
The Rebels pulled ahead on a power play and added one more to secure their lead. Then 100 Mile was killing a penalty and Hopson stole the puck and let a slap shot go to bring the score within one.
Halfway through the second period 100 Mile tied it up when winger Hopkins found the net with an assist from winger Hannah Duff. The Wranglers were on a penalty kill when A. Moore scored another shorthanded goal off a pass from Hopson.
100 Mile was in the lead by the end of the second period. To start the third, Hopkins kept digging at the puck with a rebound from Allan’s slap shot and was able to poke it through the goalie’s five-hole to add another goal to the scoreboard.
Then the Rebels came out with a vengeance and scored two quick goals to tie it up.
The Wranglers continued to work hard but with one minute left, Castlegar scored two to seal the deal, ending in a 7-5 loss for 100 Mile. Goalie Isaac faced 59 shots on goal.