Hockey / Wild 15O Team Earns First Point of NWAHL Season with Tie Against Tri-City Sunday

Wild 15O Team Earns First Point of NWAHL Season with Tie Against Tri-City Sunday

Date:  Source: NAPHL: Wenatchee Wolves

 

WENATCHEE, Wash. - The Wenatchee Wild Hockey Academy's 15-Only team is officially on the board.

The Academy's 15O squad earned its first point of the young season on Sunday morning, battling the Tri-City Jr. Americans to an 8-8 tie in a Northwest Amateur Hockey League contest. Tri-City narrowly put away the Wild Hockey Academy on Saturday evening, picking up a 3-1 victory.

"They're really starting to come along, and that's impressive," said Wenatchee Wild Hockey Academy director Troy Mick. "The first five games, they hadn't scored a goal, so now they're starting to get some goals, and that breeds confidence. You're working a little harder or not gripping the stick as much, and they stuck with it and now they're being rewarded. That's all you can ask - I think Spencer (White) and Travis (Moore) are doing a great job with that team."

The Academy's 18U and 16U teams both continued Canadian Sport School Hockey League play, with the 16U group taking a pair of home losses. Saturday's 16U game saw STAR Hockey Academy prevail by a 5-2 count, but not without a battle - after falling behind 3-0 after one period, Wenatchee raced back to within a goal thanks to tallies from Ryder Brastad at 18:21 and Jacobi Magnotta at 18:34. Two goals from STAR in the third helped to put the game away. Mikai Mast made 58 saves in the loss for Wenatchee. Okanagan Hockey Academy scored a 7-1 win the following day, with Carsen Domarus scoring the lone Wenatchee goal.

The 18U team saw its most competitive game of the weekend come on the final day of the CSSHL's Delta showcase, with RINK Hockey Academy Winnipeg sealing a 7-3 win on Friday and Pilot Mound Hockey Academy snagging a 10-2 victory on Saturday. The Wild Hockey Academy finished its weekend with an 8-5 defeat to the Notre Dame Hounds, but the offenses hammered away at each other for all 60 minutes, with the teams combining for 95 shots on goal. Anderson Carter finished the day with two goals, and Alijah Lodhar was in the mix with a goal and an assist.

"We knew that we were going to be shorthanded (on the weekend). We started with 16 healthy skaters and two goalies, and had to play three in three days," said Mick. "We did a lot of video on the weekend and did a lot of team meetings, and that's what you've got to do. The way we lost the games wasn't impressive in my book, just systematic and structure. We've got great kids, there's no question. We've got a great group of guys."

The 18U team is the first to get back on the ice this week, as RINK Hockey Academy returns to Wenatchee from Kelowna for a Thursday night affair at Town Toyota Center, with the opening puck drop scheduled for 5:15 p.m. The 15s take on the Tri-City Jr. Americans for a rematch weekend in Kennewick, while the 16s and 18s both welcome Burnaby Winter Club for a pair of doubleheaders Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning.