Pincher Creek Chinooks Atom Tournament Part 2

Atom 2 Chinooks vs Red Deer Piranhas
C. Davis photos and videos

Chris Davis, Pincher Creek Voice

Pincher Creek's Atom 1 "A" Chinooks and Atom 2 "C" Chinooks hosted a tournament at the Memorial Community Centre arena last weekend. Four Division A and four Division C teams competed in a total of 16 games starting on Friday evening, January 11 and finishing up with Finals on Sunday afternoon.

Day 2, Saturday, January 12

Game 3 - "C" Division Elk Valley Wild vs Red Deer Piranhas

Day 2 of the Pincher Creek Atom Tournament began with an early morning "C" Division game between the Elk Valley Wild and the Red Deer Piranhas. The Wild won it by a score of 13-7, helped immensely by the scoring of Justis Ruta and Simon Smith-Burness.


Scoring for the Elk Valley Wild:

Simon Smith-Burness and Justis Ruta with 5 goals each
Jeremy Dowling with 3 goals and an assist
Jordan Webber with an assist

Scoring for the Piranhas:

Bosten Lajeunesse and Nathan Frey with 2 goals each
Jeremy Wiebe, Callum Spink, and Brogan Nash with 1 goal each
Assists went to Ruben Rivera, Sam Jansen, Brogan Nash, Tyson Welch, and Julien Pretorius

Player of the Game awards went to #12 Callum Spink of the Piranhas and #23 Simon Smith-Burness of the Wild.

Game 4 - "A" Division Strathmore Storm vs Red Deer Outlaws

The Strathmore Storm defeated the Red Deer Outlaws by a score of 10-1 in this game. Lucas Norris scored unassisted for the Outlaws.

Scoring for the Strathmore Storm:

Kia Gron with 3 goals
Colby Pederson with 2 goals and 2 assists
Natalie Funk with 1 goal and 3 assists
Everett Bishop with 1 goal and and an assist
Riley Gallant with 1 goal and an assist
Liam Wilson and Lachlan Stewart with 1 goal each
Also getting assists were Zach Stangness and Walker Van Eaton

Player of the Game awards went to #14 Kia Gron of the Storm and #16 Mat Niewenhuis of the Outlaws.

Game 5 - "C" Division Atom 2 Chinooks vs Elk Valley Wild

The Elk Valley proved to be tough competition for the hometown Chinooks in this game, ultimately winning it 6-2. Both Chinooks goals came in the first period, the first by Connor Stuckey with Captain Caleb Evans picking up an assist. Those two switched roles late in the period, with Stuckey feeding a smart pass to Evans who was out front and all alone, knocking it in. The Wild hammered the Chinooks
net repeatedly, stacking the odds against Pincher goalie Christopher LeBlanc. The Chinooks seemed lethargic and disorganized compared to their play the day before.

Wild fans were notable for being some of the nicest guests this town has seen at hockey in a while, being appreciative of good plays on both sides. A good example for hockey parents everywhere. Several favourable comments regarding the abilities of Chinooks goalie Christopher LeBlanc were overheard, indicating the Wild fans are used to seeing more of their team's attempts count.

Simon Smith-Burness of the Wild turned out to be one of the superstars of this tournament, scoring three goals for the Wild and also getting an assist in this particular game. Also scoring for the Wild were Justis Ruta, Jordan Webber, and Kaleb Kilford.

Player of the Game awards were given to #8 Jeremy Dowling of the Elk Valley Wild and #18 Captain Caleb Evans of the Chinooks.

Game 6: "A" Division Atom 1 Chinooks vs Red Deer Outlaws 

Pincher Creek's Atom 1 Chinooks dominated this game against the Red Deer Outlaws, ultimately winning it 14-2.

Scoring for the Outlaws was Kolby Winters and Tanner Chapman, who also picked up an assist. Carter Veno also picked up an assist.

Scoring for the Chinooks:

Rylan Bruns with 4 goals and 2 assists (including 3 goals in a row)
Logan Deley with 2 goals and 2 assists
Easton Fitzpatrick with 2 goals and an assist
Alex Comeau with 2 goals
Sam Jordan and Cade Ames with 1 goal and 1 assist each
Michael Kleinhans-Kaupp with 1 goal
Trinity Tanner also picked up 2 assists

Christian Berthiaume deserves notice for his tireless defensive efforts during this game, as does Chinooks goalie Wesley Krampe, who really shone when called upon.

Player of the Game awards went to #17 Rylan Bruns of the Chinooks and #12 Jack Managhan of the Outlaws.

Game 7: "C" Division Red Deer Piranhas vs Rockyford Roughnecks

The Piranhas overwhelmed the Roughnecks in this game, defeating them 10-1. The lone Roughnecks goal came from Jace Schnuelle.

Scoring for the Piranhas:

Brogan Nash with a hat trick
Tyson Welch with 1 goal and 2 assists
Bosten Lajeunesse with 2 goals and an assist
Callum Spink with 2 goals
Dylan Vickery with a goal and an assist
Josh Dore with 1 goal
Also picking up assists were Ethan Franke, Jeremy Wiebe, Marc Giroux, Nathan Frey, and Sam Jansen.

Player of the Game awards were given to #10 Brogan Nash of the Piranhas and #27 Sawyer Still of the Roughnecks.

Rockyford Roughnecks

Game 8: "A" Division Strathmore Storm vs Rocky Mountain House Atom B Rockets

The Strathmore Storm continued to be a dominant force in the tournament with this game against the Rocky Mountain House Rockets, which the Storm won by a score of  9-1.

The Storm racked up 5 unanswered goals in the first period.  In the second period the Rockets upped the pressure and managed to keep the scoring down to 1 goal apiece. The Storm dominated again in the third, scoring three times.

The lone Rockets goal was by Kalen Strawberry, unassisted.

Scoring for the Storm:

Riley Gallant, Colby Pederson, and Everett Bishop with 2 goals each
Walker Van Eaton with 1 goal and an assist
Zach Stangness and Ryan Lausen with 1 goal each
Jayden Perras, Lachlan Stewart, and Liam Wilson got 2 assists each
Ray Warrack also got an assist

Player of the Game awards were given to #6 Riley Gallant of the Storm and #1 goalie Rae-Lynne Boksteyn of the Rockets.

Game 9: "C" Division Atom 2 Chinooks vs Red Deer Piranhas

This was one of those games that could have bounced either way, but the Piranhas earned their 4-2  win. Both goalies were worked hard, particularly Tristen Blood in the Chinooks net, who was in general having a great day. The Piranhas were up 3-0 until the declining minutes of the second period, with goals coming from Joah Dore in the first and Ruben Rivera and Tyson Welch in the second. Callum Spink picked up two assists, and Welch's goal was unassisted.

Connor Stuckey scored for the Chinooks at the 6:41 mark of the second period, assisted by Caleb Evans. Evans then scored with only 1:54 remaining in the period, assisted by Christopher LeBlanc, and the score stood at 3-2 in the Piranhas' favor at the end of the second. Bosten Lajeunesse scored for the Piranhas in the third, assisted by Jordan Heidinger.

Player of the Game was awarded to #8 Boston Lajeunesse of the Piranhas and #3 Connor Stuckey of the Chinooks.

Game 10: "A" Division Atom 1 Chinooks vs Strathmore Storm

The Atom 1 Chinooks continued their winning ways during this game against Strathmore's otherwise formidable Storm team. The pace of this game was lightning fast from the first whistle to the last. You could feel the electricity in the air. The Chinooks dominated the first period, racking up 5 unanswered
goals. Strathmore's lone goal came from Lachlan Stewart, unassisted in the second period, which was much more even than the first with the Chinooks scoring only one goal as well. The third period was also fairly evenly matched, but the Chinooks managed to score two unanswered goals to win it 8-1.

Goaltending by Chinooks #1 Wesley Krampe was phenomenal during this game, with a lot of help from his defensive partners. The Chinooks also demonstrated some great puck handling and passing. Their work in front of the Storm net really made a difference, with the Chinooks creating enough opportunities by being in the right places at the right times to up the odds of success. Strathmore seemed tired in the first period but really came alive in the second - a strong team in their own right with some great skating skills.

Scoring for the Atom 1 Chinooks:

Rylan Bruns with a hat trick
Michael Kleinhans-Kaupp with two goals
Sam Jordan with 1 goal and an assist
Logan Deley with 1 goal
Trinity Tanner with an assist

Player of the Game was awarded to #31 Ryan Androsoff of the Storm and #11 Easton Fitzpatrick of the Chinooks.

Game 11: "C" Division Rockyford Roughnecks vs Elk Valley Wild

The Elk Valley Wild dominated the last Saturday game of the tournament against the Elk Valley Wild. The lone Elk Valley goal came from Jace Schnuelle in the first period.

Scoring for the Wild:

Jeremy Dowling with 7 goals
Simon Smith-Burness with 4 goals and an assist
Justis Ruta with 3 goals and 3 assists
Ethan Olden with 1 goal
Pyper Gandner and Portia Eldaun with 2 assists each

Player of the Game was awarded #35 goalie Branden MacNaughton of the Wild and #10 Lucia Dahm of the Roughnecks.

Atom 2 vs Rockyford Roughnecks
C. Davis photos

Finals

"C" Division Consolation Final: Atom 2 Chinooks vs Rockyford Roughnecks

This one was a battle!  Both teams came to play for the "C" Division Consolation Final, and delivered an exciting game to the hockey fans in attendance.  The first goal didn't come until the end of the first period when  Christopher LeBlanc of the Chinooks scored, assisted by Beyonce Crowshoe.  That goal was the result of a lot of hard work by the Chinooks, bouncing rebound after rebound off of the Roughnecks goalie.  A great period of hockey with lots of back and forth, it was as good as I've seen the Atom 2 Chinooks play all season.  Better even.  They kept their momentum going in the second period, scoring two unanswered goals.  The first one came from Colton Red Young Man who tapped in a loose rebound, assisted by Abi Cryderman and Christopher LeBlanc.  That goal had the distinction of being Red Young Man's first career goal, and brought the hometown crowd to their feet.  Nico Charette scored next for the Chinooks on a breakaway play, assisted by Caleb Evans.  Tristen Blood was ON in the net, making some amazing saves.  At the end of the second period the score was 3-0 in the Chinooks' favor.  

To their credit, the Roughnecks hit the ice with increased determination in the third period.  Thea Koester was the first one to put them on the scoreboard at the 16:44 mark, assisted by Jace Schnuelle and Dustin Damen.  Then Schnuelle scored, also assisted by Damen.  That brought the score to 3-2 at the 14:57 mark, and all of a sudden it was anybody's game again.  At the 13:23 mark Beyonce Crowshoe made a long drive across the rink to deposit the puck in the Roughnecks net.   4-2.   Nico Charette made his own move right after, scoring at the 12:45 mark.  He was assisted by Caleb Evans again.  5-2.  Then Crowshoe made another of her patented long runs to the net, bringing it to 6-2.  With only 3:28 left in the game Christopher LeBlanc scored with a stylin' backhander, assisted by Colton Red Young Man.   7-2.  Red Young Man was playing better than I've ever seen him, looking forward to more of the same.  Rockyford finished it off with a nice goal with only 2:01 remaining.  Final score: Chinooks 7, Roughnecks 3.

Player of the Game was awarded to #35 Jace Schnuelle of the Roughnecks and #25 Colton Red Young Man.

 "I just told everybody to play their hardest, and that's all you could really ask," said Chinooks Captain Caleb Evans after the game.  " I think everybody tried their best."

Atom 2 Chinooks

"A" Division Consolation Final: Red Deer Outlaws vs Rocky Mountain House Rockets

Rocky Mountain House Rockets

I wasn't able to attend this game, but I have it on very good authority that it was a real barn burner, resulting in a 5-4 win for the Rockets.  

Scoring for the Rockets:

Tye Freigang, Matthew Johnson, Carson Beckner, Oliver Trautmann, and Kalen Strawberry with a goal each.  Assists came from Strawberry, Kara Wedge, Dawson Whitford (twice), Tye Freigang, and Maxwell Evanochko.

Scoring for the Outlaws: 

Bryce Lang with 2 goals
Tanner Chapman with 1 goal and an assist
Lucas Norris with 1 goal and 2 assists
Carter Sahli with an assist

Player of the Game was awarded to #9 Bryce Lang of the Outlaws and  #4 Kara Wedge of the Rockets

Red Deer Outlaws

"C" Division Finals: Elk Valley Wild vs Red Deer Piranhas

The Elk Valley Wild went home with gold medals after a 10-6 victory over the Red Deer Piranhas in the  C Division Final game.  The Wild established their lead early on and built on it throughout the game.  The Piranhas put forth a good effort, but the Wild's offence was particularly strong, as they were throughout the tournament.  

Gold: Elk Valley "C" Wild 

Scoring for the Piranhas:

Josh Dore , Tyson Welch, Sam Jansen, and Nathan Frey with 1 goal each
Callum Spink with 1 goal and an assist
Brogan Nash with 2 assists
Bosten Lajeunesse with 1 assist

Scoring for the Wild:

Justis Ruta with 3 goals and 2 assists
Simon Smith-Burness with 4 goals
Jeremy Dowling with 3 goals and an assist
Emily Gandner, Portia Eldaun,  and Jordan Webber with 2 assists each
Pyper Gandner with 1 assist

Player of the Game was awarded to #19 Dylan Vickery of the Piranhas and #2 Portia Eldaun of the Wild.

"A" Division Finals: Atom 1 Chinooks vs Strathmore Storm

Ryan Androsoff manned the Strathmore net.  Across the rink, Wesley Krampe manned the Chinooks net.  In between them, a flurry of fast paced action between two great Atom teams.  The Storm scored first at the 18:55 mark, with the puck going up and over Krampe and in.  Trinity Tanner evened it up at the 14:03 mark with an unassisted breakaway goal.  For the rest of the period the two teams battled to a draw.  Tanner came out full speed in the second period and rewarded herself with another goal early on, this one from the side of the net and assisted this time by Logan Deley.  Strathmore pressed hard.   Deley made multiple big tries that were denied by Androsoff.  With 1:45 left in the period Natalie Funk of the Storm tied it up 2-2, assisted by Liam Wilson and Riley Gallant.   

Strathmore Storm

The Storm couldn't catch a break from the Chinooks defence in the third period.  The Chinooks made their own luck, in the right places at the right times, and it paid off with two unanswered goals.  The first came from Easton Fitzpatrick, assisted by Rylan Bruns.  The second came from Michael Kleinhans-Kaupp with 8:26 left in the game.  He was assisted by Bruns and Jaxon Hammond.  Despite some big attempts by both teams, the score stayed at 4-2 for the Chinooks right up to the final buzzer.

Gold for the Atom 1 Chinooks at their own tournament.

Player of the Game was awarded to #12 Ray Warrack of the Storm and #5 Logan Deley of the Chinooks.

Gold: The Atom 1 "A" Chinooks

"They just keep playing as a team, basically, said Atom 1 Chinooks Coach Jode Deley after the game, when I asked him what helped the team succeed.  "They Just came together all weekend and they did very well, on and off the ice.  It was definitely a team effort.  There's only 11 kids.  They have no choice, they have to pick up the puck and play well, and they did.  I'm proud of them."

Coach Deley also attributed some of theire success to "Four solid defencemen.  Our defence was great all weekend."  He said having two sets of full lines was a definite bonus.

Related link:
Pincher Creek Chinooks Atom Tournament Day 1

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