Suns teams hunting for first wins of the season

Times Photo by Meg Noguchi. BATTLES: Taber Golden Suns U18 played against the Okotoks Oilers Saturday night at the Taber Ice Arena.

By Cole Parkinson
Taber Times

As October games wrapped up, a handful of Taber Golden Suns teams were looking for their first wins of the young Elite Alberta Hockey League (EAHL) season.

U11

After a 1-1 weekend to start the season, the U11 Golden Suns were back on the ice this weekend competing for four points. First up was a home date against the Wheatland Hawks. Nash Dyck got the party started for the Suns as the forward potted a goal on the powerplay — Blake Bryan collected the lone assist. With under five minutes to play, the visitors scored two quick goals to take a 2-1 lead into the middle frame.

The Hawks would add two more early in the period before Dyck scored his second of the game with Paxton Foote drawing the assist. Foote would score a goal seconds later to get Taber back within one. Bryan and Dacen Knoblich had the assists.

Down by one heading into the third, Dyck would collect the hat trick as he had an unassisted shorthanded marker under two minutes in the period. Unfortunately, the Hawks would score two in the third to take a 6-4 victory. Rem Jardine got the start in between the pipes for Taber and made 25 saves on 31 shots.

Sunday saw the team on the road as the Suns looked to finish 1-1 on the weekend. Standing in their way was the Airdrie Lightning. Taber jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead as Paxton Foote scored two straight while Maddex Howg also found the back of the net. Boone Depew and Heston Honess each had an assist. Before the end of the period was over, Airdrie would score three straight of their own as the two teams went into the second period tied. Airdrie would break the tie early in the second but Taber was quick to respond with another three straight goals. Nash Depew scored the first while Dyck answered back with two of his own. Foote would draw the assist on the first goal of the period for Taber. The Lightning hit the back of the net once more in the period as Taber took a 6-5 lead into the final frame. The third period was all Taber as they outscored Airdrie 8-1 and won the game 14-6. Dyck had two more goals and two assists, Foote and Justice Luther had a pair of goals each, Depew had a goal and three assists,  and Bryan had a single. Tove Morgan had the win in net with a 32-save performance.

As the calendar flips to November, the Suns have a weekend off before they resume with a two-game homestead on Nov. 9 and 10. First up is a 12:15 p.m. game against the Sylvan Lake Lakers. The following day, the Brooks Jr. Bandits are in town for a 10:30 a.m. puck drop.

U13

It’s been a tough start for the U13s as they were looking for their first win of the season this past weekend. On Saturday, the team was on the road as they took on the Okotoks Oilers. The Suns came out flying as Callaghan Tjeerdema got them on the board while Travis Jackson extended the lead to two. Declan Okell and Jackson had the assists on the first goal while Shawn Mrowil and Eli Robb were credited on the second. Okotoks would tie the game late in the period and the teams went into the second tied at two.

Jackson would break the tie with his fourth of the year minutes into the period as Wylie Campbell had the assist. Okell would extend Taber’s lead back to two a few minutes later as Robb had another assist. The Oilers would cut the lead to one but Taber clutched to a one-goal lead as the game shifted into the third period. The Oilers would tie the game just over two minutes into the period but Mrowil would retake the lead back for the Suns just over 10 minutes later. With the net empty, Boston Constant would seal the 6-4 victory for Taber as Jackson and Cooper Lutz had the assists. Nash Stober was the starting netminder and made 29 saves on 33 shots.

Looking to keep momentum moving forward, the Suns were back home on Sunday as they lined up against the Central Alberta Selects. Holden Emelson would score first for Taber as Jackson added another point with an assist. Despite the Selects tying the game up seconds later, the Suns kept battling and Tjeerdema scored his second of the weekend as Taber took a 2-1 lead into the middle frame.