A hat trick of hat tricks helped the midget B Cowichan Valley Thunder put an end to a brief losing streak with a decisive 12-4 win over the Nanaimo Timbermen at Fuller Lake Arena last Saturday. Sam Baxter, Clayton Raphael and Ryan John each scored three times in the victory, while Gavin Spencer, Scott McCaffrey and Nathan Clark had single goals. The Thunder took charge with three goals in the first period, four in the second and five in the third.
"Nanaimo was hungry and played hard, but the Thunder were ready with their passes and consistent rebound shots back at the net," manager Paula Harris said.
A part-time goalie with the team, Raphael enjoyed getting a chance to suit up as a runner and put some shots past another netminder, and supplemented his three goals with two assists. Spencer finished with three assists, Baxter and Brayden Grantham had two each, and Clark, John, Liam Bell, David Eastman and Eric Young had one assist apiece, as did Raphael's fellow part-time backstop, Miles Brooks. Next, the team will head to a tournament in Richmond on May 15-18.