A short-benched Williams Lake Stampeders squad won one and lost one on the weekend, lifting them to a first-place Central Interior Hockey League East Division tie with the Lac La Hache Tomahawks.
Saturday, Williams Lake skated to a 5-1 trouncing over the Prince Rupert Rampage. Sunday, however, a 12-player, two-goalie roster began to takes its toll on the Stamps and the Terrace River Kings picked up its second win of the weekend with a 5-2 win over Williams Lake.
Saturday Williams Lake netminder Justin Foote picked up the win, while Stamps’ leading scorer Nathan Zurak (11-5-16) potted four power play goals. Brent McIsaac also scored for Williams Lake. Scoring the lone marker for Prince Rupert was Josh Kierce.
Sunday, Terrace goals came from the sticks of Kyle Holtom, Richard Clair, Joey Carmano (2) and Tristan Murray. Williams Lake’s offence came from defenceman Aaron Zurak and brother Nathan. Foote turned aside a peppering 37 of 42 shots in the losing effort.
The weekend road split, paired with two weekend losses by the Lac La Hache Tomahawks, leaves both teams in a first-place deadlock in the division.
Williams Lake sits at 6-3-1 while Lac La Hache has amassed a 6-4-1 record just past the midway point of the 18-game regular season.
This weekend both teams will be looking to take sole control over first-place in the division with a pair of divisional matchups. Williams Lake hosts the Quesnel Kangaroos Friday at 7:30 p.m. at the Cariboo Memorial Recreation Complex, before heading off to Lac La Hache’s Rolf Zeis Memorial Arena Saturday for a tilt with the Tomahawks. Game time in Lac La Hache is 7:30 p.m.