Vipers 9 Lightning 1
Troy Klaus turned in a hat-trick performance to lead the visiting Red Deer Vipers to a 9-1 rout of the Stettler Lightning in Heritage Junior B Hockey League play Friday.
Also scoring for the Vipers were Stephen Pietsch with two goals, Braden Corbett, Ryan Traynor, JD Morrical and Jeffery Kohut. Jake Schwarzenberger notched the lone Lightning goal.
Vipers netminder Jason Pohl made 27 saves. Landon Schmidt and Simon Thieleman combined to block 38 shots for Stettler.
The Lightning were assessed eight of 15 minor penalties and the clubs split two fighting majors.
Stettler also dropped a 4-2 decision to the visiting Mountainview Colts Saturday. Landon Potter and Wayne Twidale scored for the Lightning, who were outshot 33-25.
In other Heritage League games involving Central Alberta teams:
• The Blackfalds Wranglers were 6-4 losers to the visiting Cochrane Generals Sunday, getting two goals from Jared Ramstead and singles courtesy of Jared Williams and Karson French.
Layne Swier made 35 saves for the Wranglers, who were outshot 40-37.
• The host Ponoka Stampeders stunned the Airdrie Thunder Saturday, building a 3-0 lead and hanging on for a 3-2 win over the Central Division leaders.
Dylan Lightning, Klais deWaal and Caycee Littlechild, with the eventual winner, scored for the Stamps. Victorious goaltender Garret Montour made 29 saves.
• The Three Hills Thrashers rolled to a pair of one-sided home-ice conquests, mashing the Medicine Hat Cubs 10-2 Saturday following Friday’s 10-0 whipping of the Banff Academy Bears.
Blaine Hoppins, Scott Bell and Calvin Main each tallied twice against the Cubs, with Kevin Belt, Ryan Layden, Tyrel Severtson and Matt Wildeman also scoring and Nick Bell picking up four assists. Cody Boeckman made 25 saves for Three Hills.
Nick Bell fired three goals in Friday’s victory, while Severtson notched a pair and Connor Ablett, Tyrel Miller, Jesse Scheunert, Jamie Fabian and Eric Reierson also scored for the Thrashers. Shawn Nemeth turned aside all 11 shots he facted.