The Nicola Valley Thunder played against strong teams from the coast as the local bantam team took part in the Karsten Huth Memorial Tournament in Kamloops on May 10, 11 and 12.

The local team went 1-3 over four games at the McArthur Island Sport and Event Center, taking on teams from Surrey, Langley, Shuswap and Chilliwack.

The tournament is named in memory of Karsten Huth, a Kamloops-based lacrosse player who passed away after a battle with cancer in 2015.

The Thunder opened the tournament on Friday against Surrey. While the Nicola Valley team was more disciplined than their opponents — earning only three trips to the box, compared to five — they could not keep up with Surrey’s scoring prowess.

Carter Shackelly scored both Nicola Valley goals in the first period, but that was all the offence the team could muster. Meanwhile, Surrey’s scorers managed to get five past Nick Parr.

The Thunder couldn’t maintain their disciplined approach in the second game of the tournament as they took on competition from Langley. With 23 penalty minutes on the board, the Thunder fell 8-0.

Game three was a bounce back effort for the Thunder, as they faced off against the Shuswap Outlaws.

Nicola Valley jumped out to a 2-1 lead in the first off goals from Gavin Shackelly and Ostyn Fox. But Shuswap charged back in the second, scoring two goals to take the lead.

That was until Matthew Morrisey’s tally with under three minutes to go in the period tied the game at three heading into the third.

Fox’s second of the game put the Thunder up early in the final frame, but the Outlaws had an answer just over two minutes later.

Nicola Valley’s Tyson Jarvis played the hero with 7:54 remaining in the game, as he buried a shot past Riley Barke to put the Thunder up one.

Shutdown defence for the final minutes of the game secured the Thunder’s first win of the tournament, 5-4.

The Nicola Valley team was in tough for their final game against Chilliwack, as team was without captain Carter Shackelly, who was serving the tail end of a two game suspension.

Meanwhile, Chilliwack’s offence went to work, scoring 10 goals against a weary Nicola Valley team.