Boasting eight local Princeton players and a mid-season 22-5 record, the South Okanagan Bantam Rep team will host a game in the Princeton Arena on Jan. 15 at 12:15 p.m against Penticton’s OHA Bantam Tier 2 team.
The team is aptly named and truly represents a south Okanagan flavour as the boys join four players from Oliver, three from Osoyoos and one from Rock Creek.
All the boys played rep last year for three different teams - Tristen Vandermuelin, Parker Thibert (Princeton Pee Wee Rep) join Brett Herrick and goalie Ryan Grgich (Penticton Bantam Rep) as first time South Okanagan team members.
The group has added significant and noticeable depth to this season’s squad, joining returning team members Kolten Smith, Dustin Fleming, Morton Johnston and Craig Thompson - the last three forming half of the total four year team veterans.
For them, this homecoming is especially sweet as this is only their third game on home ice in four seasons.
The entire team and coaching staff have worked hard on and off the ice and molded into a very tight group.
After being unable to form a local team, the group has been welcomed into the neighboring association allowing the boys to continue their careers with old and new friends.
The exhibition game is considered a huge tune up for playoffs beginning end of January and hopefully ending with participation in the provincial championships in Burnaby this March.