Rowen McGrath went Bear hunting Sunday.
The Vernon Watkin Motors Mustangs forward scored four times to lead the Mustangs to a 5-3 win over the host North Island Bears as the B.C. Tier 1 U13 hockey championships began Sunday, March 16, in Campbell River.
McGrath and Kingston Prenioslo staked the Okanagan champ Mustangs to a 2-0 lead after the first period. The host Bears tied the game in the second when Reef Cegnar scored shorthanded goals 16 seconds apart.
McGrath took care of the rest, scoring the final three goals for Vernon, who play the Victoria Admirals and Burnaby Winter Club Monday.
Five other North Okanagan-Shuswap teams are competing around the province for B.C. championship banners.
TIER 1 U15 @ KAMLOOPS
The North Zone Kings got goals from eight different players in an 8-2 romp over the West Kootenay Avalanche in their opening game Sunday.
Harlan Hesby, Aidan Boyd, Fynn Cruikshank, Layten Oliver, Nathan Sluggett, Daniel Cooke, Bryden Ezekiel, and Wade Lightfoot also scored for the Kings while Nash McStay chipped in three assists. Murray Blackwell picked up the win in goal.
The Kings, made up of players from Vernon to Revelstoke, take on the Coquitlam Comets Monday.
TIER 2 U15 @ NANAIMO
The Vernon Vipers sit 1-1 heading into their lone game Monday, March 17, vs the Prince George Cougars.
Vernon opened the provincials Saturday, March 15, with a 5-1 loss to the South Delta Storm. Declen Blondin had the lone goal for the Vipers, who rebounded Sunday, March 16, to edge the Oceanside Generals of Parksville 4-3.
Blondin scored the game-winner with 53 seconds left in regulation time as the Snakes rallied from 2-0 and 3-1 deficits.
Aiden Miller, Kellen Balcaen, and Lincoln Alger also scored for Vernon.
TIER 3 U15 @ CRANBROOK
The North Okanagan/Salmon Arm Knights have a pair of ties in their opening two games.
Arlo Heckrodt's second marker of the game with 93 seconds left in regulation time gave the Knights a 3-3 tie with the Sunshine Coast Blues of Gibsons-Sechelt Monday morning.
Levi Hodge had the other for NO/SA, who opened the provincials Sunday with a 2-2 draw against the host Cranbrook Bucks.
Remo Blindenbacher and Mason Pehowich scored for the Knights in the first- and second-periods, respectively, after falling behind 2-0. There was no scoring in the final 20 minutes.
TIER 4 U15 @ KITIMAT
The Sicamous Eagles 鈥� made up of players from Armstrong, Enderby, Sicamous, Salmon Arm, and Revelstoke 鈥� opened their provincial championship tournament with a 5-1 win over the Creston Valley Bruins.
Adam Crowe, Jaxxon Polson, Mitchell Litzenberger, Caleb Macdonald, and Blake John scored for the Eagles while Litzenberger and Ryerson Taber chipped in two assists each.
The Eagles take on the host Kitimat Winterhawks Monday evening.
TIER 1 U18 @ COQUITLAM
The North Zone Kings jumped out to a 2-0 first-period lead, but settled for a 2-2 tie against the East Kootenay Avalanche in their first game Sunday.
Tayden Lake and Landon Grant scored for the Okanagan champion Kings, a team made up of players from Vernon to Salmon Arm.
The Kings take on the Cloverdale Colts Monday.
