Captain Morgan Pike (8 goals, 6 assists) led the high-powered Sun Valley Midgets attack that accounted for 34 goals in six games—an offensive display that sparked the local high school hockey team to the Salmon Invitational title over Presidents' Day weekend.
Sun Valley's 15-18 year olds coached by John Stevens and Andrew Hebert opened the three-day, six-team Midget tournament Friday night with a 2-2 tie against Helena (Mt.) and then reeled off four consecutive lopsided victories by a combined 28-1 count.
The results put Sun Valley into Sunday's championship game against Helena. In the title contest, Pike and Douglas King each scored two goals and returning goaltender Cody Levitan (18 saves) was tough between the pipes as Sun Valley nipped Helena 4-3.
Levitan (37 saves) posted three wins as a goalie including two shutouts. Sun Valley's other goalie, Cassidy Carson, went 2-0-1 and made 42 saves. Overall Sun Valley was 5-0-1 and Helena ended up 3-1-2.
Carson (16 saves) kept Sun Valley in its first game with Helena. The Suns scored five power-play goals in a 5-0 win Saturday morning over Pinedale (Wyo.). Levitan had an 11-save shutout in that one.
In Sun Valley's next three wins, they out-shot their opponents 150-35 and outscored them 23-1. Tommy Heinrich scored twice in a 9-0 triumph over the Idaho Falls Eagles. Jimmy Hague had the hat trick and Pike added two goals in a 9-0 success over Billings (Mt.). And Alexander MacMillan (2 goals) led the way as the Suns out-shot Salmon 60-14 in a 5-1 runaway Sunday morning.
Weekend scoring totals: Pike 8 goals/6 assists; Hague 4/2; Heinrich 4/2; King 4/2; Ian Murphy 3/3; Latner Straley 2/4; MacMillan 3/2; assistant captain David Dredge 1/4; Charlie Evans 2/2; Niels McMahon 1/2; Zak Sjoberg 0/2; Chance McCroskey 0/2; Anthony Martin 1/0; and Cody Levitan 1/0.
Bantam Suns chalk up second tournament win
The Sun Valley Bantams won their second tournament title of the season, topping a field of four youth hockey teams on the Sun Valley Resort ice over President's Day.
Shuffling cards in the line-up, coaches Tim Jeneson, Bob Crosby and Chris Zarkos moved defensemen Drew Punnett and Drew Barsch to the forward line. The second-year Bantams were a pair of aces. They scored six of the team's 18 goals.
First-line center Liam Jablonski also stepped up with a five-goal series as the 13-14 year-old Suns out-shot their opponents by an almost two-to-one margin, taking 103 shots to their opponents 64.
Providing stalwart defense were Cameron Jenner, Karel Kaiser, Chase Hutchinson and Jon Paris. Goalie Gus Conrad made 56 saves. The home team allowed just one power play goal on 11 man-down situations, while scoring three power play goals on 15 attempts.
"We had solid offense and solid defense and good goaltending," Zarkos said. "Our offensive attack was relentless in the final game. It was a good tune-up for state."
Gaining momentum with each game, the Suns bounced the Boise Steelheads in the championship 6-2, avenging an earlier 3-2 loss. The Suns (3-1-0) also beat Salmon and Butte (Mt.) 6-2 and 4-2.
The Bantams are one of four Sun Valley Youth Hockey teams that will compete in the upcoming Idaho Amateur State Hockey Tournament in Boise, Feb. 19-22.
Weekend scoring: Jablonski 5 goals/4 assists, Punnett 4/5, Tom Crosby 2/7, Parker Weekes 2/4, Barsch 2/2, Paris 1/2, Mason Noyes 0/2, Riley Sibbach 1/0, Rickie Jeneson 1/0 and Hutchinson 0/1. Other Suns players were Peter MacMillan, Parker Morris, AJ Rierden and Calder Zarkos.
Yoga climbs back into senior chase
Yoga College of India climbed back into the Senior Hockey League pennant chase this week and pulled closer to the .500 level with two wins.
Monday night, goalie Bobby Farrelly back-stopped Yoga (5-6-0) to a 4-2 victory over Morgan's Fine Finishes (5-5-1).
Trailing 1-0 after one, Yoga pumped home three goals in the second period for a 3-2 lead. Don Saver (1 assist) scored a hat trick and Taylor Rothgeb (2 assists) added a goal. Credited with assists were Clint Lightner and David MacMillan.
Dave Hennessy and Dave Patrie scored for Morgan's, and Dale Johnson had an assist.
Thursday, goalie Tony Benson led Yoga to a 4-1 win over SunValley.com (3-6-1). Scoring for Yoga were Gunnar Gladics (2), Noah Loyd and Clint Lightner. SunValley.com's goal came from Rob Prew.
Next games: Thursday, Feb. 19, SV Auto/Grumpy's (7-3-0) vs. SunValley.com at 8 p.m.; on Monday, Feb. 23, Morgan's vs. SunValley.com at 8:40 p.m. The Gund Cup playoffs start March 2 and finish Monday, March 9.
