Wild 16U, 14U Programs Return To Ice In Canada
WENATCHEE, Wash. - The Wenatchee Wild Development Teams are back on the ice as the calendar flips to 2023, but a couple of the groups had a few more dates to mark off the 2022 calendar before discarding it for the final time.
The 16U Wenatchee Wilderness program returned to action with a visit to the Okanagan Classic in Kelowna, British Columbia prior to the New Year's holiday, while the 14U Wenatchee Wolverines headed to Burnaby to compete in the Pat Quinn Classic.
The Wilderness won once in Kelowna, wrapping up the weekend with a Sunday victory over the Thompson Blazers - Thompson took a 3-0 lead in the second period before the Wilderness came roaring back with four third-period goals. Armaan Puun scored twice in the third to help Wenatchee tie the game, before Holden Leosh's goal with 1:36 left put his team in front for good. Wenatchee would take an 8-0 loss to eventual tournament runner-up Fraser Valley in the opening game of the weekend before taking a 4-0 defeat to Thompson on Thursday and a 2-1 defeat against the Greater Vancouver Canadians on Friday.
The Wolverines were not able to come away with a win against U15 competition at the Pat Quinn Classic, starting things off with Wednesday losses to the Shawnigan Lake School and Sno-King Thunderbirds. Landon Nagle and Carsen White-Sibley scored Wenatchee's goals in the latter matchup, a 5-2 defeat. David Aggen scored the lone Wenatchee goal Thursday morning in a 4-1 defeat to the Cariboo Cougars, and scored again later in the day in a 9-3 loss to the San Jose Jr. Sharks. The Burnaby Winter Club closed out the Wolverines' weekend on Friday in a 5-0 final.
"Everything that we do is learning, as long as you learn from it and get ready for the next game, and the last game was the best for our 16s for sure," said Wild Development Team hockey director Troy Mick. "It was a great experience for our 14s, their first time in Canada in three years because of the pandemic. I think they learned a lot."
The 18U Wolves returned to the ice with a practice on Monday morning, and will join the 16U program this coming weekend with a visit to San Jose for the Western Exposure Showcase.
