Merritt minor hockey products Matthew Newman and Caleb Brackett are playing for the Kamloops Tier 3 bantam Blazers this season. The two boys, both students at Merritt Secondary School, travel to Kamloops three to four times a week for practices and games.

This past weekend, the Blazer bantams hosted their own tournament and finished second — losing 3-2 to Terrace in the gold-medal game.

The annual bantam tournament is called the Todd Campbell Memorial, in memory of the 15-year-old Kamloops hockey player who was tragically killed in August of 1999 in a drowning accident. Campbell died trying to save the life of a new friend, 14-year-old Jacob Befurt, as the two were swimming at Albas Provincial Park in the Seymour Arm of Shuswap Lake. Campbell was posthumously awarded the Governor General’s Award for Bravery.

Each year, at the Todd Campbell Memorial hockey tournament, members of the Campbell family in attendance select one player from the event to receive the Todd Campbell Memorial Trophy — a player who best displays dedication, sportsmanship and character while playing the game of hockey. Matthew Newman was this year’s winner of the Todd Campbell trophy (above).

Fourteen-year-old Newman felt very proud and honoured to receive the Todd Campbell Memorial Award this year. “It feels very special to be picked out from all the other kids in the tournament,” he said.

In addition to receiving a keeper plaque, Newman will also have $300 of his next season’s minor hockey fees paid for by the Campbell family. 

Peewee rec tournament will highlight busy weekend

Simon Cisco (above) and the rest of his Joco Transport peewee rec teammates, and the Ultimate Hockey & Skate Ltd. team (also from Merritt) will be hosting an eight-team tournament on the weekend. (Ian Webster/Herald).

The Merritt Joco Transport and Ultimate Hockey & Skate Ltd. peewee recreation teams will be hosting an eight-team tournament this weekend. Visiting teams will be attending from Semiahmoo (White Rock), Langley, Surrey, Chilliwack and Abbotsford.

Round robin games take place on Friday and Saturday, and the championship games on Sunday.

The Ultimate Hockey peewee team plays its round robin games at 4:45 p.m. on Friday, and at 8:45 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, while the Joco Transport team plays all three of its round robin games on Saturday at 7 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and 2:15 p.m. All six games are at the Nicola Valley Memorial Arena.

Click to enlarge.

The Joco team tuned up for its home tournament with a pair of home games this past weekend. On Saturday, Simon Cisco had both goals in his team’s 10-2 loss to Chase. Colton Ferris was credited with the lone assist. On Sunday, the Merritt team rebounded to beat Lillooet 3-1. Isaac Asselstine, Noah Lara and Brysen Pinyon each had goals, while Ferris picked up another assist along with Lara.

The Ultimate team was also in action on the weekend, playing one game at home and one on the road. Saturday, the team lost 5-2 to the Thompson-Okanagan Warriors at the Nicola Valley Memorial Arena. Wade Rauch and Kolton Wekking had the goals for Merritt, while Owen Bateson and Linden Munson contributed assists.

On Sunday, a short-staffed Ultimate Hockey team traveled to Chase and lost 16-1. The lone scorer for the Nicola Valley side was River Anderson.

Bantam Rec

The Alpha Design bantams lost once and tied once in their pair of weekend games.

On Saturday, the local team was edged 4-3 on home ice by Chase. Merritt scorers were Taylor Shackelly, Cameron Nicholls and Bianca Cavaliere. Assists were awarded to Graycin Nicholls and Beau Paterson.

On Sunday, it was a showdown between the Alpha Design team and Merritt’s other bantam rec squad, sponsored by Murray GM. The two sides battled to a 2-2 draw. Marksmen for the Alpha side were Reese Paterson from Cortez Charters, and Cavaliere from Shackelly. Both Murray GM goals were scored by Sajjin Lali, with one assist by Korben Blachford.

Atom Development

The Fountain Tire atoms hosted Sicamous on Saturday and fell to the Warriors 12-6.

Scoring for Merritt were Cayden Bergstrom (2), Luke Sowpal (2), Landon Weimer and Gavin Mouland. Picking up assists were Carson Mouland (2), Bergstrom and Shane Charters-Jones.

Peewee Rep

The Ramada peewees entertained Revelstoke in a weekend doubleheader.

On Saturday, the Jr. Cents got a three-goal performance from Gavin Shackelly in a hard-fought 7-5 win. Other Merritt goal-getters were Brayden McRae Chillihitzia (2), Lucas Schmid and Jalen McRae. Assists were given to Schmid (2), J. McRae (2), Carter Shackelly, Karson Peat, Austyn Streek and Rylan Falcone.

Sunday’s game was more one-sided, with the Ramada team prevailing 9-4. Schmid paced the attack with five goals, while Jalen McRae added a pair and garnered four assists. Other Merritt point-getters were G. Shackelly (one goal, three assists), Falcone (one goal), Peat (one assist), Streek (one assist), B.M. Chillihitzia (one assist) and Eva Galbraith (one assist). Picking up a win each in net were Nathan Van Rensburg and Nathan Willey. 

Other games this weekend

Saturday

2:15 pm Peewee Rep vs Vernon (Shulus)

4:30 pm Atom Rec vs Chase (Shulus)

5:45 pm Midget Rec vs 100 Mile (in town)

Sunday

11:15 am Midget Rec vs 100 Mile (Shulus)

1:15 pm Bantam Rec vs 100 Mile (Shulus)

 

The Merritt Herald only reports on Merritt minor hockey games and activities that the newspaper receives information about from association and team representatives.