Tracker midget reps keeping it close: Minor Hockey Report

The Merritt Ramada peewee rep squad was one of only 10 minor hockey teams in the province to win a cheque for $2,000 from BC Hockey and Best Buy stores. Peewee team representative Sheree Simon said that Merritt received the fifth-highest number of online votes, and was the only team outside of the Lower Mainland to make the top 20 list. The Ramada team wishes to thank all the local people and businesses who supported them by voting. The money will be used for team equipment and travel and accommodation expenses for tournaments.

Ian Webster/Herald

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The Tracker Sports midget reps have played a series of one-goal games in recent weeks.

On Jan. 13, in the gold medal game at a tournament in Trail, the Merritt team lost 3-2 to the host side. Scoring for Tracker were Riley Barnes and Zach Sanderson.

The loss in the championship game followed a thrilling 2-1 overtime win against Kelowna in semifinal action that went to a shootout. Dallas Grismer-Voght had Merritt’s only regulation-time goal while Sanderson and Nolan Prowal had shootout tallies.

This weekend, in league play, the Tracker team was edged 5-4 by Kelowna on Saturday, but rebounded for a 4-3 victory over Westside on Sunday.

Malik Miller led all Merritt scorers in the weekend games with three goals. Talon Tom had a pair, while Aaron Montreuil, Grady Musgrave and Bradley Colter notched singles.Kristian Stead was outstanding in both games.

In other minor hockey action on the weekend, an injury-ravaged Ramada peewee rep team lost out in both of their league outings. Saturday, Merritt lost to Winfield 5-1, while Sunday saw the local peewee squad blanked 4-0 by Kamloops.

Anthony Tulianni had the lone weekend goal for the Merritt peewee reps.

The Fountain Tire atom development team also tasted defeat on the weekend, falling 5-3 to Kamloops on home ice. Scorers for Merritt were Ethan Thygesen (2) and Breanna Ouellet.

The McDonald’s junior girls team were 5-2 winners over the Kamloops Thunder on Saturday. Mesha Naiker and Shailyn John paced the Merritt attack with two goals each while Gracynn Bose scored once and added two assists.

Merritt’s senior girls squad played three games on the weekend. Friday, they lost 5-0 at home to Kamloops #1.

The next day, they turned the tables, defeating Kamloops #2 6-1. Keisha Henry led the way with a hat trick. Lizzy Simpson, Alana Suzuki and Kendal Cunningham all tallied once.

Merritt kept it a bit closer against Kamloops #1 on Sunday, losing 4-1. Skylar Willey had the local’s lone goal. Emma Ferch was the goaltender in all three outings.

All followers of Merritt’s two female hockey teams are reminded that the girls jamboree is coming up on the Feb. 16-17 weekend.

The NVIT midget house team has been extremely busy in recent weeks.

At the beginning of January, the midget squad kicked off the new year with a 16-2 trouncing of Clearwater.  Donny Charters led the scoring parade with four goals while Brayden Thormsoet and Jessie Cunningham had two apiece.

On the Jan. 11-13 weekend, the NVIT midgets placed second in the C division of a tournament in Logan Lake.

This past weekend, the local midget house team travelled to Clearwater again for a trio of league games. The visitors from the Nicola Valley kept it close in the early going of all three games before losing 9-2, 5-4 and 5-3 to the host side.

Curtis Dick and Billy Gossoo scored two goals each in the three games. Charters, Thormoset, Cole Billy, Tristan Couture and Aaron Tippe all scored once.

Jake Tourand and Jack Sterling shared the goaltending duties through the busy month of January for the NVIT squad.