A mystery goal with just 1:17 remaining in the third period proved to be the winner as the Merritt Devils defeated 100 Mile 4-3 to take the 60+ division of the Grand Pub and Grill’s Redneck Oldtimer Rec Hockey Tournament on the weekend.
None of the players on the ice or the standing-room-only crowd of five quite saw how the puck popped out from the corner and found its way into the back of the 100 Mile net, but Devils’ captain Roddy Rodgers and his teammates were delighted with the outcome just the same.
The Devils’ victory avenged an earlier 6-2 loss to 100 Mile during the round robin portion of the tournament.
The championship game was a close one from beginning to end with the Devils holding a narrow 3-2 lead at the ice clean. The visitors from the Cariboo netted the equalizer early in the second period, setting the scene for the dramatic ‘goal from someone’ that will be talked about for years to come.
Confirmed Devils’ scorers in the championship game were Clay Martin, Gord Curnow and Randy McLean.
Rednecks’ goaltender Chris Johnson, who filled in for an injured Grant Rodgers in the Devils-100 Mile game gives his two-year-old grandson Carter Oberly a tour of the ice on the weekend. Ian Webster/Herald
Goaltender Chris Johnson came on in relief of Grant Rodgers in net for the Devils and picked up the win between the pipes. Johnson had also backstopped the Rednecks in the 50+ division of the tournament.
It was the Kamloops Radicals who took the four-team 50+ title with a perfect 3-0 record, while Quesnel were tops in the 40+ category following a 12-3 victory over defending-champion NVIT in Sunday’s gold-medal game.
