For the week of February 12-18, 2003

A happy bunch of Sunsets in Jackson Hole. Front row, from left, Larsen Peterson, Sheila Naghsh, Tizz Miller, Sarah Benson, Karen Morrison and Nicole Perkins. Back, from left, Lucy Chubb, Jen Embree, Liza Weekes, Jini Griffith, Christine Gould, Kris Miller, Christl Holzl and Wendy Speth. Courtesy photo

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Sunsets round up
wins at Jackson Hole

Yee Haw hockey!

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By JODY ZARKOS
Express Staff Writer

The corners were not the only places where Sun Valley Sunsets women’s hockey players were grinding last weekend.

When not busting a move on the dance floor of the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar, the Sunsets were bumping off the competition in the annual Stella Cup Hockey Tournament in Jackson Hole, Wyo.

Sun Valley went 3-0-1 and knocked off Boulder (Colo.) in the final 1-0.

"I was impressed with their overall teamwork and it was good to see them step up and dominate," coach Wendy Speth said.

The Sunsets started off the tournament with a 2-2 tie against the Left Handed Brewsers of Boulder on Friday.

Sun Valley climbed back from a 2-0 deficit on goals by Sarah Benson (Kris Miller assist) and tournament Most Valuable Player Christl Holzl (Tizz Miller). The Sunsets outshot Boulder 36-7.

The next two opponents for the Sunsets went down as easy as a pre-game Red Bull.

Sun Valley knocked off the Teton Passers 4-1. Goal scorers were Jini Griffith, Liza Weekes, Nicole Perkins and Larsen Peterson.

The Sunsets whipped the Denver Pioneers 5-1 on goals by Sheila Naghsh, Tizz Miller, Holzl, Perkins and Peterson.

The win secured a spot in the championship against Boulder, a physical and fast squad, but still no match for the Sunsets.

If not for Colorado goalie Kathy Eike (27 saves) the score would have been much more than 1-0.

Eike (27 shots) absorbed more shots than the guest of honor at a celebrity roast, but did not yield until late in the third period, when Larsen Peterson pulled in a pass from Naghsh and beat Eike in the top left corner for a 1-0 victory.

"I think it was a really good confidence building weekend. I was really proud of them," Speth said about her team.

Goalie Karen Morrison finished with 37 saves.

One of the reasons she faced so few shots was the stalwart play of defensemen Christine Gould, Jennifer Embree, Weekes and Benson in front of her. Lucy Chubb also made the trip, but suffered a knee injury in the first game.

Liza Weekes was awarded the MVP Jacket for her all-around great play. Tizz Miller was named Sofa King for her plush flubber action.

The Sun Valley Fury went 0-3 in the 10-team tournament, losing to Salt Lake 6-0, Jackson Hole 1-0 and Boise 3-1. MVP Jeannie Kiel scored the team’s lone goal on an assist from Jen Douglas and Jenny Gatehouse.

Goalie Joanie Fox finished with 60 saves. At the conclusion of the Boise game, the referee told Fox she was the best goalie he had seen in the B Division.

Both Sun Valley women’s teams will participate in the Wells Fargo Idaho Winter Games this weekend at Ice World in Boise.

 

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