The U8 Smolen Dentistry Highland Storm had a great showing on Saturday, Feb. 10, at home at the S. G. Nesbitt Memorial Arena versus the Sturgeon Lake Thunder.
Both teams waited eagerly to get on the ice for the first game of the day.
Off the first faceoff, Dean Da Lanca pushed the puck ahead to Kipton Cunningham, who took it down the ice, through four players, and around the goalie to score the first goal of the game.
Another play had Ben Gaffney stealing the puck off a Thunder player to go down the ice with Sully Brind. The two made a pass through a few players and shot the puck past the goaltender.
But the Thunder weren’t going to give up that easily, and fought back hard, trying to score a goal of their own to get into the game.
Jack Hunter was in net to stop a shot from the Thunder and direct it behind the cage. Rome Hicks of the Highland Storm grabbed the puck and carried it down the ice. After stickhandling through a few players, he shot the puck and it made it between the legs of the Thunder netminder and into the net.
Teammates Frances Gilmour and Arizona Latanville had a strong ice presence, defending and stopping players from getting through as well as making plays to help the Storm dominate play.
The other half of the ice had Highland Storm goalie, Sawyer Willis, defending against a strong Thunder offense.
The game got off to a slow start, with both teams playing it safe. But soon, the Thunder started picking up the pace and scored the first goal of the game.
Highland Storm players Ander Brown, Felix Dart, and Travis Hutchinson came back with a vengeance and set up a play to tie it up.
Keaton DeCarlo, Ryerson Jones, Ryker Thibert, and Ryland Thibert all worked hard to stop players from getting shots on net as well as setting plays up to give the Storm a chance to score a goal, determined to solidify their teamwork to get a win.
The Highland Storm team celebrated their hard-earned victory.
