Like a Storm rolling through the valley, the South Okanagan Storm (Bantam Tier 3) hockey team keeps rolling through opponents.
Last weekend they rolled into Winfield and won their twentieth game of the season. The 8-4 victory was high-lighted by a hat-trick from team captain Tristan Vandermeulen and another goal from assistant captain Parker Thibert. Michael White centered the third line and spent a lot of time killing penalties in the win.
To date the Storm has won all three tournaments they have played. They have beaten teams from the interior, the mainland and the Kootenays. In winning 14 consecutive tournament games they have simply out-played every team they have faced. And, look no further than Princeton for three reasons why this team has been so successful.
Vandermeulen, Thibert and White all live in Princeton, and commute weekly for practices and games.
Tristan is the team’s captain, and the leading scorer. In his second season at the Bantam level, Vandermeulen leads by example with his all-out effort, scoring and energy.
Thibert is an assistant captain and another second year player. He spends a lot of time on the Power Play and Penalty Kill, and has a number of multiple point games this season
White is in his first year in Bantam, and is spending his first season playing center. He has spent half the season on defense, and the balance at forward.
It’s a lot of time, and a huge commitment. In spite of that, all three have managed to succeed at a high level, and maintain Honor Roll grades, or higher. Combined, the three have all A’s and nothing lower at Princeton High School this year. Add to that a full commitment to the PSS Rebels Basketball team, and you can only imagine these three have little to no spare time in their busy lives.
Your chance to watch the Tristan, Parker and Michael, and the Storm is coming soon. They are set to play in the Princeton Bantam Tournament in mid-January. Come out and support your local boys. This will be the first “home tournament” for the three centers in a few years, and they are looking forward to performing in front of their friends and family.