Vernon Watkin Motors Mustangs defeated two rivals from two different parts of the province in U13 Tier 1 hockey games in Vernon Dec. 11 and 12.
The Mustangs thumped the Cranbrook Bucks 8-3 and held off the Kamloops Blazers 8-6. Goalie Max Davis picked up both wins in goal for Vernon.
Watkin Motors started off with four consecutive goals against the Bucks from Braylon Lalonde, Jack Saxton, Dominik Silbernagel and Jace Hickin.
Berkeley Reid, Hickin and Silbernagel, with a pair, finished off the scoring. Vernon had period leads of 3-0 and 5-1.
Reid’s goal with 2:27 remaining in regulation time was the insurance marker the Mustangs needed to stave off a Kamloops comeback.
Hudson Podollan’s goal at 3:58 of the third had given Vernon a seemingly comfortable 7-4 lead. But goals from Holden Ekman at 4:15 and Peyton Klassen at 9:10 cut the Mustangs lead to just one.
Silbernagel’s second goal at 5:38, and Grayson McKeown’s marker nine seconds later at 5:47 – both on the powerplay – gave Vernon a 3-0 first-period lead. Kamloops got on the board at 12:19 with a man advantage goal, but Hickin restored the two-goal lead for the Mustangs.
Harry Watson and Hickin scored second-period markers for Vernon, which led 6-3 after 40 minutes.
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