The Northern Cougars female hockey team, with Williams Lake’s Victoria Byer, Tessa Hare and Chantelle Beadman-Rolph, had a successful three-game series in Campbell River against the Island Hurricanes from Nov. 29 to Dec. 1.
The first game saw the Northern Cougars capture a 2-1 victory after taking a 1-0 lead into the third period with a goal from Ava Kies late in the second period.
The Hurricanes then tied the game halfway through the third period on a scramble in front of Cougars’ netminder Avery Quiring, before Jocelyn Forrest potted the game winner with less than three minutes left in the game.
Saturday afternoon was another nail-biter, ending in a 1-0 decision for the Cougars.
Hare lit the lamp for the game winner, shorthanded, in the second frame.
Sunday’s contest was Quiring’s turn to shine as she recorded her first shutout of the season, as the Cougars earned six points over the three-game sweep.
The Northern Cougars, following the weekend, improved to six wins, two losses and four ties totalling 16 points on the season.
“This is the best start ever in the Northern Cougars’ history surpassing any other full season point totals in only 12 games,” said Scott Forrest, the team’s manager.
Next up for the Northern Cougars, who play in the B.C. Major Midget Female League, is a trip to Nelson on Dec. 13 for a busy four-game weekend.
Richardson off to World Chess Championships
Williams Lake’s Kai Richardson, 10, will be looking to put the world in checkmate next week when he competes at the World Youth Chess Championships.
Heading into the tournament, which runs from Dec. 17-29 in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates and involves 107 nations, approximately 1,750 players and 1,715 parents and volunteers, Richardson is the top-ranked under-10 player from Canada.
He will compete against 204 under-10-year-olds from around the world.
Richardson’s parents, Aki and Scott, recently designed team Canada shirts and had Bill Horne and his partner, Claire Kujundzic, of Wells, do the silk screening, before shipping them out to most of the players across the country.
Bantam T-wolves win silver in Peace River
The Williams Lake Bantam Rep Timberwolves played an inspired game in the final of the Fort St. John Midget Tournament early December, losing in a shootout to Peace River after the regulation and overtime periods ended in a 5-5 tie.
Williams Lake fell behind early, 2-0, but battled from behind the entire game until they scored the tying goal with two minutes left.
The T-wolves had numerous chances to win the game including a post hit with 32 seconds left in the overtime frame.
In the shootout Williams Lake scored on their first attempt, but were unable to put another puck past the Peace River goaltender. Peace River’s shooters scored in the final two rounds to win the shootout, 2-1.
Leading scorers for the T-wolves were Trey Thomas (three assists), William Paynton (three assists), Daine Dubois (two goals) and Dylen McNeil (two goals).
Williams Lake opened the tournament with a 6-3 win over SSAC from Edmonton, led by Corey Loring with four points (two goals, two assists) and McNeil (two goals). Dylan Derose was spectacular in goal to keep the game in Williams Lake’s favour. Next, the T-wolves beat the host Fort St. John Flyers, 8-3, led by Paynton (three goals, two assists), Dubois (one goal, two assists) and Thomas (one goal, two assists). Hayden Lyons recorded the win in goal for Williams Lake.
In their final round robin game Williams Lake came out on the wrong side of an 8-7 shootout against St. Albert. Paynton (one goal, three assists) and Dubois (three goals, one assist), again, led the team in scoring with four points each. Cody Swan also chipped in three points (one goal, two assists) in the contest.