Sunsets, Fury drop the puck
Women?s hockey opener in Boise
By JODY ZARKOS
Express Staff Writer
It was a fine start to the season for two local hockey teams competing at the Boise Harvest Classic women?s hockey tournament at Ice World in Boise last weekend.
The Sun Valley Sunsets claimed the Upper Division championship with a 4-1 victory over Jackson Hole A. The Sunsets dominated the eight-team field with three victories by an 18-1 margin. Goalie Joanie Whitcomb collected 40 saves and two shutouts.
The Sun Valley Fury bounced back from an 0-2 start to win the Middle Bracket consolation championship.
Fury knocked off the Harvest Hellraisers 4-2 to clinch the title. Four different players found the back of the net, including Heidi Ottley, Lolly Greeninger, Susanne Connor and Bege Reynolds. Nancy Parsons-Brown and Greeninger had two assists apiece. Connor and Sara Gorham tallied one each. Goalie Jenni Conrad made 45 saves in two games, and Whitcomb gloved 36 in the opener.
A highlight was the debut of talented new Fury skaters including Tristan Ellison, Becky Stokes, Heidi Jorgenson, Heidi Ottley and Kathleen Histon.
Meanwhile, back in the Upper Division, the Sun Valley Sunsets opened with a commanding 9-0 victory over Jackson Hole B?scoring four goals in the first period, two in the second and three in the third.
In the second contest, five different players scored in Sun Valley?s 5-0 win over the Salt Lake Shadows. The Sunsets modeled their defensive might as well, allowing only nine shots on net. The win pushed Sun Valley through to the final against Jackson Hole A.
In the championship, Wendy Speth scored off a pass by Kris Miller giving the Sunsets a 1-0 lead midway through the first.
Jackson?s Kathy Selden equalized five minutes later for a 1-1 tie. The game was knotted until the Sunsets busted loose late in the second, scoring two goals in 15 seconds. Scores by Nicole Perkins (assist Julie Bell) and Sheila Naghsh (Miller) pushed the Sunsets ahead by two. Naghsh scored late in the third finishing it off 4-1.
A pick-up game between Sun Valley and Jackson Saturday night was much tighter, as both teams cracked more than 30 shots. Sun Valley captains Speth and Sarah Benson broke through to score goals in the third period to win 2-0. Whitcomb came up with 32 saves in the shutout.
Speth led the Sunsets offensive charge with 4 goals and 6 assists. Christl Holzl tallied 4 goals and 3 assists. Nicole Perkins 4/1; Sheila Naghsh 3/2; Kris Miller 1/4; Dotty Sarchett 2/1; Julie Bell 1/1; Sarah Benson 1/1; Jen Embree 0/1; Christine Davis-Jeffers 0/1. Liza Weekes, Jeannie Kiel and Jini Griffith also contributed to the team?s success. Davis-Jeffers was named team MVP.
The Boise tilt was a good tune-up for the Tucson Women?s Hockey Tournament. The Sunsets will participate at the tournament Nov. 13-14.
