SPORTSHOUND: The girls have come a long way

Tales from the Timebox 

U11 Avalanche

If this game is any indication, it would appear the league has done a good job of tiering these two teams. The Vermilion Tigers came calling on Saturday taking on the U11 Elk Point Avalanche. The Avalanche just barely came out on top in the end 7-6. Hudson ‘The Bull’ Brousseau scored four goals and an assist. Ava ‘The Red Baron’ Rawlake with two goals, including the winner with only two minutes left in the game. She also assisted on one. Speedy defenseman Lennox ‘All Out’ St. Arnault went coast to coast on the power play scoring one all alone. ‘All Out’ also assisted on one. Two girls doing a good heads up job of moving the puck, Kendall Morin and Derrace Kitchemokaman had one assist each. Tor ‘Tornado’ Aarbo didn’t score but did have an assist in this game and he did do some relentless forechecking to create turnovers. Goalie General Lee Barstad between the pipes boarded up the fort tight for the win.  

Not every team is in the right tier it would appear. On Sunday, the U11 team had an easy win over Bonnyville, 15-4 the final score. The Pontiacs team had been moved up from Tier 4 last week and may have a tough time competing in the Tier 3. Maybe the league will have to look at this one again. Five goals and three assists for the Bull. Plus, a trip over to the penalty box courtesy of his older brother Tristin, who was one of the referees in this game and called him for a body check. Hunter ‘Hardrock’ Pankiw and the Red Baron each scored a hat trick and a number of assists. Tor ‘Tornado’ Aarbo with a goal and an assist. The unsung hero, defenseman Hudson ‘The Hammer’ Krankowski with his first goal of the year. Forwards ‘General Lee’ Barstad and Rylan ‘The Freight Train’ Kryzanowski each with an assist. Goalie Stetson ‘Shack’ Reynolds wasn’t very busy in this game, but came up big when called upon. 

U9 Avalanche

The U9s hosted Glendon here on Saturday morning. Jase ‘The Jackal’ Malo led the team with eight goals. He set up just as many. Cohen ‘Big Horn’ Brousseau playing against his cousin, one of the Smyl’s, scored seven goals, he also set up a bunch including Charlie ‘Chickadee’ Davis who found the back of the net with two. ‘Chickadee’ assisted on a couple herself. Teraleigh Nepoose-Gadwa banged in her first goal of the year. ‘Benny Boy’ Benjamin Saddleback also scored his first goal of the year and did some fantastic back checking. Aspyn ‘Machine Gun Kelly’ with a hat trick. Thomas ‘The Tank’ Morris played a terrific defensive game, he was on the doorstep with one going just wide. First year player, Dax ‘My Boy’ Bowman just ready to poke one in when the buzzer went to end the period. In net for the first time this year, Landon ‘Lights Out’ St. Arnault was coming up with monster timely saves.

On Sunday it was a different story. ‘Lights Out’ in the cage again was very busy when the U9 team travelled to Vermilion. The whole team worked really hard and came into the dressing room all sweaty, but there was not a lot of scoring in this one for the Avalanche. Only Big Horn and Machine Gun Kelly found the back of the net.  

U13 Avalanche

The U13 team had a barnburner of a game here on Saturday winning a real tight battle 6-5 win over Provost. Last Friday night, Provost had beaten the Avalanche so it was good to have a little payback. But here again are two teams that appear to be in the right tier together. William ‘Billy Bob’ Ballas opened the scoring in the first period.  The centerman, Billy Bob had a fantastic game playing both ends of the rink, coming back hard when the Blades had the puck. Billy Bob also added an assist. Sneaky Liam ‘Sledgehammer’ Swedgen had a couple of goals. Some terrific work in the corners by Brody Trach who was on the scoresheet with an assist. Two goals and two assists for the free-wheeling Wild Wyatt Fontaine. Jaxon ‘Magic’ Marcoux scored the winner, assisted by Kestyn ‘Crocodile’ Quinney, who also had a very good game on the blue line, assisted on a couple others. Defenseman Tristin ‘Bobcat’ Brousseau also stepped up into the play with a couple of assists. Bobcat is small but solid and had to stand his ground in front of the net with the bigger players late in the game trying to move into position to score. His steady D man partner, Jackson ‘Smitty’ Smith with his long reach doing some great poke checks holding the blue line. Owen ‘Ollie the Goalie’ Grykuliak was solid in the cage facing 32 shots, some of them very tricky to handle.  

Don’t let anyone tell you that girls can’t play hockey. On Sunday the U13s played an all-female U13 team from Lloydminster. This team is a legit Tier 2 team and gave our guys a bit of a spanking as 8-3 was the final score in favor of the Blazers. Perhaps we took them a little too lightly to start the game and only came alive in the third period. These girls can skate, pass and shoot top shelf where mom keeps the cookies. Our goals all came in the third period. Remington ‘Steel’ Reynolds, Billy Bob Ballas and the Sledgehammer with the goals. Brody Trach, Wild Wyatt, and ‘Major Tom’ Melnyk with the assists. Goalie Theo ‘Long Horn’ Loughran-Quinney was peppered with 39 shots.  

U18 Avalanche

The U18s hosted Vermilion Tigers on Sunday night. The Tigers were a little bit hungry during their supper hour and took two points off the Avalanche in a 4-2 win. ‘Top Gunner’ Crawford and ‘Dean the Machine’ Ockerman with the goals. Wyatt ‘Wild Man’ Pavoll with the helper.