A road trip to the Okanagan seems to have cured what ailed the Valley West Hawks.
The BC Hockey Major Midget League team ended a four-game winless streak by taking three of four points from the Okanagan Rockets, winning 4-3 Saturday and playing to a 3-3 draw Sunday morning in Kelowna.
“These are the most satisfying three points we’re earned this season,” said Hawks head coach Jessie Leung. “I was very proud of the sacrifice and determination showed this weekend. I don’t think there’s a single player that wasn’t treated by our trainer or was sporting an ice pack at some point.”
The Hawks came from behind for the victory, going into the third period trailing 2-1 to a team battling for first place in the 11-team elite league for 15-17 year-olds. Valley West, comprised of players from the Surrey, Semiahmoo, Langley and Cloverdale minor hockey associations, tied the game a minute into the final frame on a goal from Wyatt Hicks of Langley.
Justin De Vos of Surrey put the visitors up 3-2 with 11 minutes to play, then with just two minutes to go, Langley’s Christian Bosa notched his second of the game for the 4-2 advantage. The Rockets got one back with 20 seconds to play, but lost for just the fourth time in 13 games.
Nic Tallarico of Surrey made 30 saves in the Valley West goal, including two on breakaways.
Bosa added another pair of goals Sunday morning, as the two teams traded the lead three times. Trevor Ayre of Semiahmoo put the Hawks up 3-2 early in the third period, with Okanagan getting the game-tying goal with nine minutes to play.
Valley West is now tied for fifth place with the Vancouver Chiefs, each with 7-5-2 (won-lost-tied) records. The teams play a pair of head-to-head games next weekend, facing off Saturday at 3:30 p.m. in the Langley Events Centre, and Sunday at 11:45 a.m. at Planet Ice - Coquitlam.
BLUE LINES: The Hawks have been accepted into the Mac’s Tournament in Calgary Dec. 26 to Jan. 1. It’s the fourth time in five years the Hawks have been invited to the tournament, which features the top Midget AAA teams from across Western Canada, as well as teams from the U.S.A. and Europe.
Daniel Watson played his first two games of the season with the Hawks. The Semiahmoo Minor Hockey product began this season with the Junior B Abbotsford Pilots, playing six games before he was released. He fills a roster spot left open when forward Luke Gingras left to join the Saskatoon Blades.
Forwards Jeffrey Stewart and Ben Evanish missed the trip to Kelowna due to injuries.