The Thompson King Miners scored early and often in both of their midget AA league games against the Norway House North Stars on home ice Nov. 2-3, notching nine goals overall in the opening periods as they skated to easy 10-3 and 17-1 victories.
Four players recorded hat tricks for the home team over the two games – Jonathan Saunders and Casper Stoker in the opening matchup and Jacob Enns and Tazman Higgins in the rematch.
Jonah Ross, Stoker, Enns and Higgins scored twice to stake the King Miners to a 5-1 first intermission lead in the Saturday contest, with Dallas McKay recording the North Stars’ only goal of the game on a breakaway with his team already down three goals.
The King Miners scored five more times in the second period Saturday and then seven more goals in the final frame. Conroy Halcrow and Curtis Shymanski each had a pair of goals, while Nathan M’Lot, Cody Hale and Brennon Bradburn had singles.
Shots in the game were 51-5 for Thompson.
Saunders opened the scoring less than two minutes into Friday’s game and Mayor doubled the lead about three minutes later. The score remained that way until Saunders scored his second to make it 3-0 with 4:26 to go before the first intermission. Stoker got Thompson’s last tally of the period less than two minutes later.
The Miners’ domination continued in the second frame Nov. 2, with Connor Camphaug making it 5-0 before Saunders completed his hat trick for a six-goal lead. A goal by Ross and Stoker’s second of the game made it 8-0 before Raheen Muswagon of the North Stars took over in the last six minutes of the period, notching a natural hat trick to make it 8-3 Thompson, with Muswagon’s last goal coming on a stellar individual effort as he deked out defenders and King Miners goaltender Landon Hofer before putting the puck in the back of the open net. Norway House outshot Thompson 13-11 in the middle frame thanks in part to a number of King Miners penalties.
Stoker got his third goal and Mayor his second in the late stages of the third period following a post-whistle skirmish involving most of the players on the ice to make the final score 10-3 for Thompson. Shots in the first game were 51-25 in the King Miners’ favour.
