Girls play four games in IF
Sun Valley's Girls' U-19 hockey team ran the gamut of game experiences with a 1-2-1 effort in their season-opening tournament at Idaho Falls over the weekend of Nov. 17-18.
Playing at the Joe Lehto/Wayne Marmo Arena, the Suns skated to an 11-1 victory over a fledgling Salmon squad Saturday. Sun Valley's Devan Annan scored the first goal of the game in the first two minutes and finished with a three-goal hat trick.
The floodgates opened for the sharp-shooting Suns squad with goals by Daniela Stokes (2), Nellie Brown, Frannie Sensenbrenner, Kelly Hennessy, Dylan Peterson, Aimee Evans, and Erin Hennessy. Wing Maddie Miller was awarded the "game puck."
Host Idaho Falls made itself at home with a 5-0 shutout of the Suns in game two. Sun Valley goalie Emma Wilander turned back 27 shots, earning the game puck for her efforts.
"We skated with them," Sun Valley coach Dave Hennessy said. "It was 2-0 going into the third. They are a deep, deep team and very good."
Sun Valley outshot Boise 32-11 Sunday morning, but had to rally with the game-tying goal to salvage a 2-2 tie. Defenseman Aimee Evans made it 1-0 with a shorthanded goal. The Herricanes netted the next two scores. Sun Valley equalized 2-2 when Annan converted a power play goal on feeds by Tanner Dredge and Stokes. Ellie Punnett won the game puck.
The unbeaten Utah Grizzlies All-Stars skated past the Suns 6-3. The Suns defense netted all three goals. Game puck winner Evans scored twice and Brown tallied one. "No one else scored more than a goal against them," Hennessy said about the game's significance. "Idaho Falls lost to them 2-1."
Blueliner Kelly Hennessy was awarded the game jersey as Player of the Tournament. Also lacing up for the Suns were captain KD Pruett, Tate Reed-McDorman, Ellie Swanson and Georgy Goodwin.
"I think they played fantastic for the first time out. They have gotten to the next level in terms of how they are playing," Hennessy said. "Some of our younger girls like Frannie Sensenbrenner and Maddie Miller really stepped up and played real well."
Sun Valley's girls will host teams from Idaho Falls, Salmon and Boise Dec. 15-16. Check the Express Local Life section in early December for a photo of the girls from Idaho Falls.
Bantams 2-2 at Missoula
Sun Valley's Bantams (ages 13-14) helped round out the eight-team field at the Bruin Blast-Off in Missoula, Mt. With only nine skaters, the Suns went 2-2 and played competitive hockey each game.
The Idaho sextet started the tournament rolling with a 3-0 shutout of Tri Cities in game one. Goal scorers were Cooper Hanley, Doogie King and Tom Crosby. Goalie Cassidy Carson made 19 saves.
Helena doubled down the Suns 4-2. Scoring for Sun Valley were Crosby (assist to Chris Carnes) and Hanley (Rickie Jeneson). Goalie Carson finished with 24 saves.
Crosby (Drew Barsch) and Carnes lit the light as the Suns blanked Missoula 2-0 to earn the third seed in the tournament. Then the Suns fell to fourth-ranked Bozeman 3-2 in the championship round.
Crosby (King/Barsch) scored against Bozeman to finish with a goal in every game. King converted a pass from Jeneson. Carson finished with 45 saves in the final two games. The trio of Charlie Evans, Drew Punnett and Barsch were on defense all weekend and Karl Wilander skated at forward.
The Suns will host teams from Boise, Idaho Falls, McCall and Jackson Hole in their home tournament, Dec. 1-2.
Midgets skate at Ice World
The Sun Valley Midgets (15-18) skated in three friendlies against their Boise-area counterparts over the weekend at Boise's Ice World.
In the closest contest, the Suns fell to Junior Steelheads U-16 AA team 2-0. Peter Atkinson (Jackson Bates) tallied the Suns lone goal in a 6-1 loss to Meridian. The Junior Steelheads U-18s blanked the Suns 7-0. The Sun Valley Midgets are back on the ice for a home tournament, Dec. 7-9.
