The Williams Lake Stampeders improved to a perfect three wins and no losses Saturday after downing the Quesnel Kangaroos on the road, 7-3.
The beginning of the Central Interior Hockey League senior men’s ‘AA’ campaign has now seen the Stamps’ defeat East Division rivals the Kangaroos twice, and the Lac La Hache Tomahawks once.
On Saturday at the Twin Ice Arenas in Quesnel Williams Lake blasted out of the starting blocks to a 3-1 lead in the first period with goals from Nathan Zurak (3-0-3) and two from Matt Lees (3-2-5). For Quesnel it was Curtis Gassoff on the power play notching the lone marker.
In the second the Kangaroos and the Stampeders traded a pair of goals with Tyrell Turgeon striking first to put the Kangaroos within one, before Stuart Sasges (1-2-3) restored the two-goal lead heading into the final frame.
There, Williams Lake extended its lead with Zurak adding his second and third goals of the evening — both on the power play — while Lees also tallied his hat-trick marker. Harley Gilks, meanwhile, added Quesnel’s only goal of the frame in the 7-3 defeat.
Williams Lake netminder Justin Foote proved to have all the answers for the Kangaroos in the contest turning aside 32 of 35 shots in the winning effort. Ryan Manderson, at the other end, was handed the loss for Quesnel.
Following the first three games of the season Williams Lake now has two of the top-three scorers in the league as both Lees and Zurak sit one and two, respectively, at the top of the scoring chart.
In three games Lees has nine goals and three assists for 12 points, while Zurak has tallied four goals and five assists in just three outings.
With the perfect start to the season Williams Lake has a commanding lead over first place in the division with six points, while the Tomahawks occupy the second-place standing with one win and one loss. The Kangaroos, meanwhile, are still seeking their first win of the season.
Williams Lake will hit the pavement this weekend for its longest road trip of the season travelling to Prince Rupert to take on the Rampage on Oct. 18, before heading to Kitimat the following day, Oct. 19, to take on the Ice Demons.
Following that the Stampeders return home for a divisional tilt with Lac La Hache on Nov. 1 at the Cariboo Memorial Recreation Complex. Puck drop will be at 7:30 p.m.