A handful of Medicine Hat-area girls helped the Southern Express midget hockey team to a tournament win in Regina this past weekend.
Goaltender Hayley Whelen and sisters Brookelyn, Madison and Kennedy King from the Gas City, Irvine netminder Devyn Amundson and Duchess’ Kendal Pierson are among the regional representation on the elite-level squad this season, and all had a part in the team going 5-0 including a 4-1 win over Regina’s Rebels.
Pierson had one of the goals in the final while Whelen made 24 stops in net.
Four seemed to be a lucky number for the Express, who scored that many in all but one of their weekend games.
They beat Manitoba’s Southeast Sharks 4-1, with Pierson scoring and Amundson making 18 saves. A 4-1 win over Swift Current saw Madison King among the scorers and Whelen making 18 saves. Madison had another pair of goals in a 6-2 win over the host Rebels (Amundson with a 19-save win), then the winner in a 4-3 decision over Okotoks’ Rocky Mountain Raiders (Whelen with 22 saves).
In league play the Express are 2-3-1, with a handful of games scheduled to be played in Medicine Hat this season according to the league website.
Midget AA
In Edmonton for a tournament, the Jasper Homes Hounds midget AA team were looking for a challenge.
The defending provincial champions got it, but continued to prove they’re one of the best around at the AA level.
Medicine Hat fell 2-1 to Red Deer in a Monday morning semifinal, after going
They beat Swift Current 5-2, Brandon 4-1 and East Kootenay 12-0 in the round robin.
Ty Moore had the lone goal against Red Deer, a power play marker coming in the third period and setting up a frantic final 12 minutes. But they couldn’t get another past goaltender Zaiden Hansen, who made 30 saves for the Elks.
The Hounds only took one penalty in the game and got 25 saves from Nate Hoffman. It wound up being a last-second goal in the second period that was the difference.
Other weekend highlights included a hat trick from Vaughn Strutt in the shutout over Kootenay, and a two-goal, one-assist game for Kyden Moore in the opener against Swift Current.
Bantam AAA
With their home tournament set to start tomorrow, the South East Athletic Club Tigers bantam AAA team geared up with a 4-1 win over Okotoks Saturday.
At Hockey Hounds Arena, the Tigers broke a five-game losing skid with two goals from Caleb Garrecht, two assists from Deegan Kinniburgh and single markers from Kaden Pahl and Ford Gilbert.
Silas Currie made 27 saves in net, while SEAC outshot Okotoks 40-28.
The 16-team annual major bantam tournament begins at 5 p.m. Thursday with the host team facing Cariboo at 8:30 p.m. at the Kinplex.
Bantam AA
The bantam AA Hounds tied Lethbrdige 2-2 Friday and lost 4-2 to Central Alberta Saturday at the Kinplex.
Jacob Hazzard had both goals in the tie, while Jesse Klimosko had both in the loss.
Peewee girls
The peewee Wildcats reported one game this past weekend; a 1-1 tie with the West Central Wildcats.
Keira Grant had the lone goal with an assist from Keyana Bert.
Peewee AA
Medicine Hat Orange registered a pair of wins in peewee AA play this past weekend, 5-3 over Central Alberta on Friday and 8-1 over Airdrie White on Saturday.
Grady Ford and Brayden Weiss had two-goal games Friday, while Cash Olson’s hat trick led the way Saturday.
Medicine Hat Black only had one game, a 4-4 tie with Bow Valley on home ice Sunday.
