Golden Suns begin February slate

By Cole Parkinson
Taber Times

It was another busy weekend for the Alberta Elite Hockey League and Taber Golden Suns teams were back in action.

U11 

The U11s were back on the ice to continue the regular season with two road games. On Saturday, the Suns beat the Brooks Jr. Bandits with an 18-2 win. Boone Depew had four goals and two assists, Nash Dyck scored five times, Paxton Foote had two goals and three assists, Blake Bryan had two goals and two assists, Heston Honess had two goals and an assist, and Tommy Palaschak and Maddex Howg had three assists. Others to hit the scoresheet include Dacen Knoblich (two assists), Justice Luther (goal and an assist), and Carter Wiest and Mason Emelson (one assist each). Rem Jardine was the starting netminder and the goalie made 21 saves on 23 shots.        

Sunday’s game on the road against the Okotoks Oilers saw the Suns continue to fill the net as they skated to an 8-4 win. Bryan had a hat trick and an assist, Dyck and Foote had a goal and three assists, Depew had a goal and two assists, Luther had a pair of assists, Honess scored two, and Korbin Rodwell had an assist. Morgan was back in net and made 18 saves on 22 shots.

It’s another two-game weekend coming up for the U11s as they’re back on the road for both. Saturday’s game is against the Olds Grizzlys at 2:30 p.m. while Sunday sees the team take on the Bow Valley Timberwolves at 2:15 p.m.

U13

It was a two-game weekend for the U13 Suns as they took on the Medicine Hat Hounds to begin the weekend. Unfortunately, it was all Hounds as the home team cruised to an 11-1 victory. Cooper Lutz had the lone goal which was assisted by Boston Constant. Nash Stober was the goaltender for Taber and made 21 saves on 32 shots.

The Suns looked to rebound on Sunday when they took on the Wheatland Braves in Vauxhall. The Suns got out to a 4-0 lead and fended off any threat of a comeback as they took it 5-2. Callaghan Tjeerdema scored once and had two assists, Constant had a goal and an assist, Jaxon Kalo, Holden Emelson, and Blaze Wenzel all scored, and Travis Jackson, Shawn Mrowil, and Declan Okell had an assist each. Drew Tame had a 43-save performance in the win for Taber.

Two more games are en route for the U13s this weekend as they welcome in East Kootenay on Saturday at 2:45 p.m. Sunday sees the Suns depart to Airdrie to take on the Lightning at 1:45 p.m.

U15

The U15s had a single game this past weekend as they hosted the Lethbridge Hurricanes on Friday night. Taber was able to double up Lethbridge as they took the game 4-2. Tony King scored two of the Taber goals and added an assist, while Hayden Eldridge had one goal and an assist, Bril Haraga had two assists, Hudston Stenger had the other goal, and Paxton Powell and Ben Van Der Linde had an assist. Ashton Jensen made 15 saves on 17 shots in the Suns’ net.

It’s a two-game home stand upcoming for the Suns as they take on Bow Valley on Saturday at 5:15 p.m. and Olds on Sunday at 3:30 p.m.

U18

The U18s are back in action this coming weekend after a weekend off of AEHL action. Saturday sees the Suns take on the NWCAA Stamps in Vauxhall at 2:30 p.m. Sunday’s action takes the Suns out of town as they play the Wheatland Chiefs at 4 p.m.