If there’s a connection between looking good and being successful, then the Smithers Storm bantam reps have it figured out.
Walking around the Jim Ciccone Civic Centre on the weekend during game day, one could catch sight of a number of little ones (and some big) in suits and ties hanging around the rink.
Professional to a tee, these Storm bantams wouldn’t have looked out of place had they just walked off their own private jet into YVR airport.
Coach Dave Tucker’s crew continued to look great on the ice as well, downing the Prince Rupert Seawolves bantam reps 12-0 on Sunday morning, potting five goals in the first period alone.
Two hat tricks, one by the Storm’s captain Levi Olsen and one by alternate captain Ethan Tucker, led the way for Smithers’ romp over Prince Rupert, who played admirably but ran into too much penalty trouble and some outstanding defensive play by Smithers.
The Storm’s ability to clog the neutral zone impeded the Seawolves from ever having sustained pressure in the Storm’s end and the team’s impeccable penalty-killing stymied Rupert.
Smithers’ goaltender Jon Coish earned the shutout, stopping under 20 shots for the whole game as the Storm’s positional play was spot-on.
Manreet Doel played well for the Seawolves while he was joined by defencemen Taylor Northcott and Liam Quane and fellow forwards Vishal Sekhon and Hunter Wiley on the power-play that was able to create a few scoring chances for Rupert with the man-advantage.
Brayden Ferguson survived the Storm’s onslaught when he could, making way for backup netminder Eric Tubb in the third period after Smithers’ eighth goal.
Teryn Archer, Marcus Shepart and Brett Fudger were able to penetrate the Storm’s zone a couple times but found themselves stymied by Coish all game. Keenan Marogna and Lyndon Drummond held down the fort against Smithers’ top opposition lines.
For the Storm, Dion Fowler and Colton Bradford scored twice each while Anthony Lovic and J.R. Lecourt added singles in the win.