The top five (5) teams remain unchanged in the standings as the MML season continues.
Catch up on all the scores from around the Major Midget League with the Week 17 recap.
Cariboo Cougars vs. Thompson Blazers
The Blazers jumped right back into the action after their bye week, facing off against the first-place Cougars.
Trent Thompson opened the scoring for the Blazers, giving them a 1-0 lead heading into the second period. Brendan Malgunas tied things up just 45 seconds into the second period, but the Blazers regained the lead off a power play goal from Aleksandre Erichuk.
That would be the last goal of the day for Thompson, as the Cougars notched three (3) third period goals (Mason Richey, Jesse Pomeroy, Daine Dubois) to get the 4-2 win. In Game 2, Thompson kept things close through a scoreless first period, but the Cougars’ offense exploded in the second, tallying six (6) goals from Dubois (2), Malgunas, Darian Long, Hunter Floris, and Ty Kolle. Reid Perepeluk and Malgunas scored in the third to bring the Cougars’ total to eight (8) goals.
Erichuk and Tyson Gayfer scored for the Blazers.
North Island Silvertips vs. Okanagan Rockets
The Rockets picked up a couple of wins in Nanaimo to stay in the hunt for a top two (2) spot in the standings.
The Rockets got on the board first with a power play goal late in the opening period from Max Kryski. Kryski would score again on a short-handed effort just 40 seconds into the second period to give Okanagan a 2-0 lead. Joshua Zary cut into the Rockets’ lead with a power play goal at the 5:59 mark of the second period, but that’s as close as the Silvertips would get as Okanagan scored three (3) third period goals (Coleton Bilodeau, Seth Barton, Jeffrey Karpowich). Statistics were unavailable for Game 2 at the time of publishing.
South Island Royals vs. Fraser Valley Thunderbirds
Game 1: Fraser Valley 5, South Island 2 Game 2: Fraser Valley 4, South Island 1
The Royals opened the scoring in Game 1, with Evan Easton finding the back of the net five (5) minutes into the game.
With less than two (2) minutes to go in the first, Dawson Penner tied things up for the T-Birds, but Bryson Hines responded less than a minute later to send the Royals into the intermission with a 2-1 lead.
From the second period on it was all Thunderbirds, with Justin Plett (2), Justin Hargrave, and Brodi Stuart finding the back of the net in the win.
In Game 2, Chad Cromar backstopped the Thunderbirds to a 4-1 win, with Blake Bonnar, Dylan Debruyn, Jake Mulder, and Hargrave scoring. Alexander Benger scored the lone goal for the Royals.
Vancouver NW Giants vs. Valley West Hawks
Game 1: Vancouver NW 2, Valley West 0 Game 2: TBD
Jesse Makaj earned the shutout as the Giants picked up a 2-0 win over the Valley West Hawks.
Liam Kindree scored in the second period to make it 1-0, while Matteo Pecchia picked up the insurance marker in the third to secure the win. The Hawks and Giants will face off in Game 2 on Tuesday, January 31.
Greater Vancouver Canadians vs. Vancouver NE Chiefs
Game 1: Vancouver NE 8, Greater Vancouver 5 Game 2: Greater Vancouver 7, Vancouver NE 6
The Canadians and Chiefs showed off their offense this weekend, scoring a combined 26 goals in two (2) games.
In Game 1, the Chiefs’ Logan Bromhead opened the scoring two (2) and a half minutes into the game, but Michael Araki-Young quickly evened the score. Bromhead scored again to make it 2-1, but the Canadians’ Sasha Mutala and Daniel Pearson scored in the last five (5) minutes of the period to take a 3-2 lead into the first intermission.
The Chiefs offense dominated in the second, scoring four (4) goals (Jonny Sheardown, Brett Didyk, Zackery Dallazanna, Liam Ryan). Jayden Ghieuw scored the Canadians’ only goal of the second period. Sho Takai and Sheardown scored in the third to bring the Chiefs’ final tally to eight (8) goals.
Scott Atkinson scored the only goal of the third period for the Canadians. Statistics were unavailable for Game 2 at the time of publishing.
