News

WENATCHEE, Wash. - The weather in Wenatchee is getting colder, but the Wenatchee Wild Hockey Academy programs are beginning to heat up as the calendar flips over to 2024. The Academy's weekend teams both enjoyed strong finishes at their respective tournaments over New Year's weekend, while the program's Under-18 team earned a pair of nailbiter victories last weekend against the Seattle Jr. Kraken to land a Pacific Northwest Amateur Hockey Association championship and land a spot in USA Hockey's Pacific District tournament in Anchorage, Alaska.

The 14U group won its pool at the Richmond International Bantam Midget Tournament over the New Year's weekend, taking a 2-2 tie against the Alaska Wolves 14U team before earning a 5-1 win over the Okanagan Rockets, an 8-2 triumph against the Richmond Jets and a 4-2 victory over the North Shore Warriors' U15 Varsity group. Wenatchee defeated the Rockets and Warriors a second time in the bracket to snag a gold medal for the weekend, defeating North Shore by a 3-1 mark in the championship game. 

The 2008 team went 2-2 at the Pat Quinn Invitational in Burnaby, winning its opening two games with a 12-3 win over the Esbjerg Hockey Club and a 3-2 victory over the California Wave. The RINK Academy’s Red squad scored two third-period goals for a 2-0 win, followed by a come-from-behind 5-4 win for the California Wave that ended Wenatchee’s time at the tournament.

Two of the program’s national-bound Academy teams were in action last weekend, with the U18 and 14U squads hunting for PNAHA state championships. The U18 team had a pair of close calls in its two wins over the Seattle Jr. Kraken, earning a 3-2 shootout victory on Friday evening at Town Toyota Center. Wenatchee picked up two first-period goals 10 seconds apart, but saw the lead evaporate before picking up the win in a seven-round shootout thanks to a decisive goal from Mikhail Levianuk. They would earn a 1-0 win on Saturday in Seattle to clinch the PNAHA title. Wenatchee's 14U team dropped a 3-2 shootout decision on Saturday, but came back for a 5-4 win on Sunday to force a decisive third game on home ice next month.

Wenatchee's U17 team was set to start its run in the PNAHA state series this past Tuesday, before seeing a winter storm wipe away travel plans for the Jr. Kraken. Okanagan Hockey Academy dropped in for a pair of Canadian Sport School Hockey League games last Saturday and Sunday, picking up 5-1 and 4-1 wins against the Wild Hockey Academy. Armaan Punn got Wenatchee on the board late in Saturday's game, while Dominic Deery scored his team's lone goal on Sunday.

Wenatchee’s 14U and 17U programs are both competing in CSSHL showcases this weekend, with the 14U program competing as a guest team at the Edge School Showcase in Calgary, Alberta. The 17U team will compete at the Delta Showcase in British Columbia through Sunday.