In Korea, Watanabe sixth in World SBX
Hailey's Graham Watanabe, 26, placed sixth overall, the third American, in Sunday's men's snowboardcross (SBX) event of the 2009 FIS Snowboard World Championships at Gangwon, Korea. Capturing his first world championship medal as the top American in third place was Nick Baumgartner of Iron River, Mich.
Arritola named to U.S. team for 2009 XC Worlds
Fairfield's Morgan Arritola, 22, is one of 13 U.S. skiers named to the U.S. World Championship team headed to the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships Feb. 19-March 1 in Liberec, Czech Republic. Nordic Program Director John Farra announced the American team following the final qualifying World Cups at the Whistler (B.C.) Olympic Park that ended Sunday, Jan. 18.
Arritola, 26-year-old Garrott Kuzzy of Wisconsin, 22-year-old Morgan Smyth of Vermont, 22-year-old Liz Stephen of Vermont and 22-year-old Leif Zimmermann of Montana are first-time world competitors. Rounding out the team are Caitlin Compton, Kikkan Randall, Laura Valaas, Chris Cook, Kris Freeman, Torin Koos, Andy Newell and James Southam.
Sunday, Arritola and Rosie Brennan of Park City finished 18th overall, the fourth U.S. team, in the World Cup team sprint at Whistler. Randall and Stephen combined for an outstanding fourth place. Colin Rodgers and Mike Sinnott, also products of the Sun Valley Junior Nordic ski team, were on the 13th-place and 15th-place men's teams.
Two locals in Lake Placid SX
Ketchum's Langely McNeal (27th) and Christine Cordeau (31st) made the 32-racer finals of Monday's Nature Valley Freestyle World Cup ski cross race at Lake Placid, N.Y. Best American SX finish Monday was a fifth by Daron Rahlves.
The Americans were happy to return to the U.S. after a series of ski cross races in Europe. There, they found courses that featured jumps and roller. Here, the courses are more flowing and typical of the style Americans are used to, said U.S. Ski Cross head coach Tyler Shepherd. Plus, the finals in Europe had been open to only 16 skiers in the finals.
Be sure to check the X Games ski cross action live on ESPN Sunday, Jan. 24 at noon on local channel 32.
B+ League hockey update
Wildcats and Vipers captured B+ League games Sunday at Sun Valley Skating Center.
Lacie Hernandez, Bryan Furlong and Peter Shafer scored for the Wildcats in a 3-2 win over the Sharks (Danny Thomas and Clark Shaffer).
Vipers scorers in a 5-3 win over Senators were Alex Baron (2), Scott Miller (2) and Baba Street. Lighting the Senators light were Jini Griffith, Lucy Chubb and Tom Treischman.
Coming Sunday, Jan. 25: Isles (5-4-0) vs. Wildcats (5-3-1) at 4 p.m., Bad Dogs (3-4-2) vs. Senators (4-4-1) at 5:15 p.m. and Sharks (3-6-0) vs. Vipers (6-3-0) at 6:30 p.m.
Midgets take Miners twice for Tin Can bronze
Sun Valley Midgets goalie Cassidy Carson turned aside 47 of the 48 shots he faced Sunday, giving the local high school team a 7-1 victory over the Rock Springs (Wyo.) Miners at Tautphaus Park, Idaho Falls.
Action took place in the third-place consolation contest of the four-team Idaho Falls Youth Hockey Association Midget Tin Can Classic. Sun Valley went 2-2-0 over two days and beat Rock Springs twice.
The Logan (Utah) Blizzard won the championship 1-0 over the host Idaho Falls squad that had won its four preliminary games by a combined 29-5 count including a 4-2 win over Logan.
For coach Andrew Hebert's Suns, the consolation game against Rock Springs was a good example of teamwork. Six different Sun Valley players scored goals—Alexander MacMillan (2), Morgan Pike, David Dredge, Jimmy Hague, Ian Murphy and Anthony Martin.
In Saturday's 7-3 Suns win over Rock Springs, Pike tallied a three-goal hat trick in the first period alone, lifting Sun Valley to an early 4-0 cushion. The Suns also lost to Idaho Falls 5-1 and to Logan, also 5-1.
Weekend Sun Valley scoring totals: Morgan Pike 4 goals/0 assists; Neils McMahon 2/1; Douglas King 2/1; Latner Straley 0/3; Ian Murphy 1/2; Jimmy Hague 1/2; Tommy Heinrich 1/2; Alexander MacMillan 2/0; David Dredge 1/1; Anthony Martin 1/1; Chance McCroskey 0/2; Zak Sjoberg 1/0; and Charlie Evans 0/1. Goalie Carson made 141 saves on 155 shots.
SV girls ready for home hockey tourney
Playing four games at last weekend's Martin Luther King tournament in Utah, the Sun Valley U-19 girls' hockey team tuned up for its upcoming three-team home tournament with Salmon and Idaho Falls.
Sun Valley, coached by Dave Hennessy and Eddie Grimes, will host the two Idaho girls' squads Friday through Sunday, Jan. 23-25 at Sun Valley Skating Center. Spectators are welcome to cheer the girls.
At last weekend's Utah Lady Grizzlies tourney, Sun Valley went 0-4 but kept the scores close with strong offensive and defensive play from each and every girl. Earning the tournament MVP jersey was team captain Ashley Hesteness.
Team Wyoming defeated the Lady Suns 4-1, then Sun Valley outshot the Idaho Falls Lady Eagles 25-12 but fell on the scoreboard 2-1. The Utah Lady Grizzlies blanked Sun Valley 2-0. Montana's Big Sky Wildcats used a late goal to stop a Lady Suns rally for a 3-2 victory.
Scoring were Ashley Hesteness, Aimee Evans, Devan Ellison-Annan and Daniela Stokes. Credited with assists were Evans (2), Hesteness and Dylan Peterson. Game pucks went to Nellie Brown, Kelly Hennessy, Ellison-Annan and goalie Emma Wilander (72 saves).
Others on the traveling team were Tanner Dredge, Erin Hennessy, Georgy Goodwin, Madigan Miller, Ellie Swanson and Frannie Sensenbrenner.
SV Auto Club handles Morgan's 5-2
It was SV Auto Club/Grumpy's (5-2-0) taking control of the Senior Hockey League on Thursday with a convincing 5-2 victory over Morgan's Fine Finishes (4-2-1) at Sun Valley Skating Center.
The five different Grumpy's goal scorers were John McGuone, Bryan Speth, Brad Stansberry, Brian Sutton and Rune Haavik (empty net). Those with assists were Frank Salvoni, Dave Stone, Rian Timmons and Speth.
Morgan's goal scorers were Spencer Brendel and Dave Hennessy, assists to Jeff Enos, Phil Hebert and Billy Tryder.
On Monday, Yoga College (2-5-0) rallied from a 4-2 third-period deficit and beat SunValley.com (2-4-1) by a 5-4 score in overtime. Pete Whitehead had four goals including the OT game winner for Yoga, and Taylor Rothgeb added a single.
SunValley.com scorers were Blake Jenson 1 goal/0 assists, Mike Punnett 1/3, John Kearney 2/0, Gunnar Whitehead 0/2 and Little Mac 0/1.
Next up: Morgan Fine Finishes vs. Yoga College Thursday, Jan. 22 at 9:50 p.m. and SV Auto Club/Grumpy's vs. SunValley.com Monday, Jan. 26 at 8:40 p.m. After Monday's game, there are no games until Feb. 6.
