Peewee Chinooks place second in home tournament

2013/14 Peewee Chinooks
C. Davis photo

Chris Davis, Sports

Pincher Creek's Peewee Chinooks hosted their home tournament for the 2013/14 season at the Memorial Community Centre Arena last weekend.  Five teams participated, including the Chinooks, Cardston Thunder, Elk Valley Wild, Medicine Hat Leafs and Strathmore Storm.

Video - Some Peewee Chinooks tournament highlights:

What ensued was 10 games of exciting Peewee hockey, with not a dud among them, as all of the teams were capable and competitive.   It was one of the more evenly balanced tournaments in recent memory.

Wild vs Thunder
Lloyd Lybbert photo

The first two periods of each game were played with the clock running and no ice cleaning between them, and the final periods were played stop time.  That made for a brisk pace overall.  Each team played 4 games.

Storm vs Wild
L. Lybbert photo

The Elk Valley Wild emerged as the undefeated champs of the tournament after a final game 4-1 win over our Chinooks.  That was the only Chinooks loss of the tournament.

Top scorer for the Wild was #10 Dawson Wells with a total of 4 goals and 4 assists over the course of the tournament.    #2 Justis Ruta achieved a hat trick in the Wild's first game of the tournament against the Storm.

The game between the Storm and the Thunder ended in a 4-4 tie, after three periods of thrilling play.

Chinooks summary:

Peewee Chinooks checking out the competition
Jamie McMullen photo

Chinooks Captain Nelz Vance was on top of his game, scoring 5 goals throughout the course of the tournament, including a hat trick in game 4 against the Thunder, getting two assists, and receiving the Heart and Hustle award after the Chinooks' Saturday game against the Thunder.  #40 Ethan Grier got 4 goals and an assist.  Also scoring for the Chinooks were Sam Jordan (2 goals), Brandi Yellow Wings, Michael Kleinhans-Kaupp, Trinity Tanner, and Calim Yellow Face.  Yellow Face, Tanner and Jordan also earned 2 assists each.  Also earning assists for the Chinooks were Easton Fitzpatrick, and Thunder Crowshoe.

Heart and Hustle:  Brandi Yellow Wings and Wes Krampe
C. Davis photo

At the end of each game a player was chosen by the opposing team for the Heart and Hustle award.  Chinooks Heart and Hustle recipients included Beyonce Crowshoe, Nelz Vance, Sam Jordan, and Wes Krampe.  Krampe gave his award to teammate Brandi Yellow Wings, saying she deserved it for her second period goal in game 7 against the Leafs, her first goal of the season.

Chinooks vs Strathmore Storm

The Chinooks won the first game of the tournament, held on Friday December 13, against the Strathmore Storm, by a score of 5-1.  Several of those in attendance report the game was very fast paced, and the level of competition was not necessarily reflected in the score.  Chinooks goalie Wes Krampe reportedly played one of his best games of the season.

Chinooks vs Cardston Thunder

The Chinooks were firing on all cylinders right from the first puck drop during their Saturday afternoon game against the Cardston Thunder, which also counted as a league game.  They began by hammering the Thunder net, and were up 4-0 by the end of the first period.  The Thunder spirit was definitely not broken heading into the second period, and early in they scored their first goal of the game.  They were much stronger throughout the second period than they were in the first, holding off the Chinooks' onslaught and scoring again near the end of the period to make it 4-2, still in the Chinooks favour.

Thunder tries to get one past Krampe
L. Lybbert photo

Thunder goalie #31 Colby Sansparil put on a clinic during this game, earning the respect of everyone who watched his performance.  The third period was as good as hockey gets, with both teams playing very well.  However, the Chinooks had the edge and used it to their advantage, scoring twice more to win it 6-2.

Chinooks vs Medicine Hat Leafs

The Chinooks faced off against Medicine Hat's Leafs on Saturday evening. You couldn't ask for a more evenly matched game.  Goals from Ethan Grier and Nelz Vance in the first period put them ahead 2-0 at the end of the first.  Calim Yellow Face picked up an assist on Nelz' goal.  The Leafs scored one near the halfway mark of the second period, which was answered by Chinooks #5 Brandi Yellow Wings, assisted by Sam Jordan for her first goal of the season.  

Both teams poured on the steam for the no-scoring third, the Chinooks winning it 3-1.  Great goaltending on both sides of the rink in this one.  The Chinooks played a thinking game, passing very well, and it paid off for them.

Chinooks vs Elk Valley Wild

The Chinooks faced the Elk Valley Wild for the final game of the tournament.  Going in both teams were undefeated, the only undefeated teams, so this game turned out to be the decider for first place.  We saw two very evenly matched teams out there, obviously a little tired from so much hockey in one weekend, but still giving it their all.  The Wild scored first, with 6:56 remaining in the first period. Four minutes into the second Michael Kleinhans-Kaupp scored for the Chinooks, tying it 1-1.  Unfortunately for the Chinooks it was to be their last goal of the game.  The Wild scored once more in the second, and again with only 2:25 remaining in the third to win it 4-1.

Chinooks Head Coach Brandon Yellow Wings spoke with me after the tournament.  "They played excellent," he said of his team.  "These guys, our guys played awesome."  Yellow Wings said one of the highlights of the tournament for him was the Chinooks vs Leafs game on Saturday evening.  "It was pretty intense."  He also cited the final game against the Wild.  "The first two periods in this game were pretty good.  The score might not have shown it, but the kids really hustled.  This was a fast team they played against."

Looking forward he said "These are teams that we're going to be playing against the rest of the year.  Lethbridge, their teams are fast like this, they hustle.  That's why we organized our lines so that we always had strong players out there.  Because when we go back to our league, Cardston is at the bottom of the league.  We fixed our lines accordingly to where the weaker players got a little more ice time.  A lot of them got more ice time during this tournament."

"We got them skating out there, getting the feel of it, and they got it.  A few of those guys were skating with the puck, and they played decent."

"That's what I wanted to do, is use this tournament as a practice.  It was well coordinated, and we fixed our lines really good, and our team really clicked."

"I'm proud of all of them, the way they hustled out there.  They really started passing, our goalie was awesome, I really have no complaints.  I had a lot of fun.  I know that my coaching staff had fun, and the kids really enjoyed themselves."

"They're playing as a team, and that's what I really want, what the coaching staff really wanted.  If someone's in the open, pass it.  Then get to the net and get that rebound.  It's not all about goals and winning all the time.  It was really good to have three wins in a row."

Thanks to the volunteers, fans, and families

Chinooks Superfan Brooklyn Yellow Wings
C. Davis photo

Strathmore Superfans Gracie and Trista with the Storm backing their play
C. Davis photo

Events like this rely upon the hard work and dedication of a virtual army of volunteers, hats off to them for making this such a successful event.  Another notable presence during this tournament was Peewee Chinooks fan #1 Brooklyn Yellow Wings, cheering them on from the sidelines for most of the tournament with her distinctive cheer.  About halfway through the tournament she was awarded a Chinooks jersey as a thank you for her tireless effort. Strathmore fans Gracie and Trista also represented, with a homemade sign celebrating their team.

Games at a glance:

1. Chinooks 5 vs Storm 1 
2. Leafs 3 vs Thunder 1
3. Wild 4 vs Storm 1 (Hat trick for Wild #2 Justis Ruta)
4. Chinooks 6 vs Thunder 2 (Hat trick for Chinooks 'C' Nelz Vance)
5. Leafs 1 vs Storm 1
6. Wild 3 vs Thunder 0
7. Chinooks 3 vs Leafs 1
8. Wild 4 vs Leafs 2
9. Storm 4 vs Thunder 4 (4 goals for Thunder #10 Easton Weasel Head)
10. Wild 4 vs Chinooks 1

2013/14 Pincher Creek Peewee Chinooks

1 Wes Krampe (Goalie)

2 Easton Fizpatrick

4 Beyonce Crowshoe

5 Brandi Yellow Wings

8 Sam Jordan

12 Colton Red Young Man

13 Thunder Crowshoe

14 Michael Kleinhans-Kaupp

15 Trinity Tanner

17 Elias Smith

18 Lane Prairie Chicken

19 Calim Yellow Face  

20 Nelz Vance

23 Sienna Smith

25 Kyrell English

26 Abi Cryderman

39 Taylor Smith

40 Ethan Grier

Coach B. Yellow Wings

Assistant Coaches:

R. Yellow Wings

K. Malcolm

J. Fitzpatrick

Manager L. Kaupp

Trainer B. Kleinhans