Day 1 – Game Recaps

The puck dropped Monday morning to officially begin play in the 2023 CARHA Hockey World Cup. 

With over 40 games scheduled for Day 1 of the weeklong tournament, both the Richmond Oval and Richmond Ice Centre were buzzing with action as teams began their quest for the Cup. 

SN Storm vs Aussie Magpies (Molson Ultra 35+): 
Led by #10 Chad Dey, the SN Storm jumped out to an early lead and never looked back. Magpies goalie Norman Yan had a stellar performance in net but the SN Storm offence proved to be too much for the Magpies to handle. Magpies player Jared Hopkins found the scoresheet in the 3rd period to score Australia’s first CHWC goal at the Richmond Oval. 

Aussie Crocodiles vs Dangleberries (Vizzy 19+): 
The Dangleberries wasted no time getting their tournament started on Monday morning scoring in the first minute of action and never looking back. The Dangleberries saw standout performances from #88 Keanu Fernandez and #17 Jeremy Delos Santos who both scored hat-tricks in their tournament opener. 

Italia vs Lordco Islanders (Pizza Pizza 40+): 
Lordco Islander Brian Cain was on the receiving end of a beautiful pass by Stuart Lavoie to get on the board early in the first period en route to a 4-1 win over Italia.  Cain’s teammate, Brandon Aguirre, joined the party finding the back of the net twice while Andrea Vernetti was the lone goal scorer for Italia.

SOHA 70+ vs WYND Breakers (Universal Coach Line 70+): 
SOHA 70+ carried the majority of the play in the first game of the 70+ Division, outshooting their opponents 19-5. The two teams entered the second period tied 1-1 until SOHA 70+ broke through scoring twice in the second frame with Charlie Stlund scoring the game wining goal. 

HC Mehtimakelainen vs Aussie Drop Bears (Molson Ultra 35+):
#20 Jarkko Turunen had no issues finding the back of the net on Monday putting up 4 goals to go along with his 2 assists as HC Mehtimakelainen defeated the Aussie Drop Bears. HC Mehtimakelainen also saw some unselfish play by #21 Jani Lahtinen who had 5 assists to go along with 2 goals. 

Muumiot vs Slakhawks (Lulu Island Winery 55+): 
Finnish-side Muumiot got off to a hot start in their first game defeating the Slakhawks by a score of 5-0. The winning team shared the wealth by having 5 different goal scorers, while goalie Ari Saaranen led the way keeping a clean sheet and recording his first shutout of the tournament. 

Mixed Bags of Fury vs KA Camp Ladies (McArthurglen Designer Outlet Women): 
It was a hard-fought game between these teams as goalies Nerissa Hall and Amy Hashemi made plenty of saves keeping the game close for the full 3 periods. #16 Tamara Jenni looked to be the only goal scorer until teammate #17 Annina Birchler scored with 34 seconds left to put her team up 2-0. 

Nordic Trading House vs Snails (Molson Ultra 35+): 
The Snails got on the board early as Tuomas Lappalainen scored 3 minutes in and the Finnish team never looked back. Markus Serni added a goal late in the first period which proved to be the game winner as the game finished with a final scored of 4-1. 

Aussie Kangaroos vs Richmond HC (Vizzy 19+):
Ashton Rai of Richmond HC came ready to play today scoring twice in the opening period and leading his team to a strong win over the Aussie Kangaroos. The Australians found the back of the net twice in the 3rd with goals from #8 Sam Eastham and #83 Ryan Hart, but ultimately came up short against the Canadian squad. 

HT Cream vs Pitt Meadow Gamblers (Pizza Pizza 40+):
Led by 2 goal performances by both #23 Teemu Peltola and #81 Mikko Kirjavainen, HT Cream rolled to a convincing 7-1 win over the local team from Pitt Meadows. #7 Craig Perler was the lone goal-scorer for the Gamblers. 

LSH Antiques vs Orient Express (Universal Coach Line 70+): 
Both teams got out to a fast start as they exchanged goals within the first 4 minutes of the game. With 25 seconds left in the first period, #12 Jim Dymock found the back of the net to give the LSH Antiques the lead heading into the second. #18 Walter Epp scored 12 seconds into the second period with what would eventually be the game winning goal as the Antiques ended up winning the game 5-2. 

West Wings vs St Moritz Selection (Molson Ultra 35+):
St Moritz Selection took a 2-0 lead into the 3rd period and seemed to be heading for victory until #91 Jon Conkin broke the Swiss-goalie shutout bid. With the goalie pulled, the West Wings took advantage of having the extra attacker scoring with 24 seconds left and sending the game to OT. After a penalty to the Wings in the extra frame, Selection player Romano Tuena found the back of the net giving his team a power play goal and the win. 

Trangsund 60 vs Fitchburg USA 60 (Westcoast Sightseeing 60+): 
After a back and forth first period that saw both teams exchanging goals, Trangsund 60 broke through in the second scoring 4 goals to their opponents 1. In a game that saw 5 different Trangsund players find the back of the net, the Swedish team ultimate took the win 5-2. 

Warriors vs Z Team (McArthurglen Designer Outlet Women): 
Z Team player #34 Jess Hagan got her team on the board early in this one, but the Warriors ultimately answered back scoring 8 unanswered goals to secure the 8-1 victory. Warriors player #18 Sonya Sneyd Glover led her teams offensive charge adding a goal and an assist. 

Richmond Cowboys vs Britvegas (Molson Canadian 25+): 
In a game that featured even-strength, powerplay and short-handed goals, these two teams battled for the full 3 periods to try to get the win. With his team leading 3-2 late in the 3rd period, powerplay specialist #16 Gunnar Wegleitner scored twice with the extra attacker to go up 5-2. Cowboys player #94 Robert Savage added a last minute short-handed tally to make it a 5-3 final. 

The Simpsons vs Legends Pub (Vizzy 19+): 
After being honoured to carry the Canadian flag into the Opening Ceremonies, the Simpson hit the ice against a strong opponent in the Legends Pub. Although a stellar performance by Legends goalie Tyler Friesen who made 30 saves, the Simpsons were too much for the Legends to handle and ultimately won the game 6-2. Simpsons player Tyson Lobb had a strong tournament start scoring 4 goals and adding an assist. 

Bombers vs Bik Karlskoga (Pizza Pizza 40+): 
Bik Karlskoga started strong and never looked back in this one. Karlskoga player #9 Robert Frost led the Swedish side offensively with 3 goals and 2 assists as teammate #83 Axel Grusell tallied 4 assists. 

Albion River Rats vs Schooners 70 (Lawrie Insurance Group 70+): 
After a scoreless first period, Schooners player #12 Mickey Donaldson found the back of the net late in the second and the Schooners never looked back. After adding three more goals in the 3rd period, the Schooners defeated the River Rats 4-0 with goalie Sam Wishlow recording a shutout in his first game of the tournament. 

Osteraker Mariners 40 vs NSWC Angels (Gadar Promotions 40+): 
After the Mariners jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period, the Angels refused to throw in the towel eventually tying the game 2-2 with 5 minutes remaining in the final period. However with 2:52 left to go, Mariners player #61 Joakim Klareus scored what would end up being the game winning goal. The Mariners added 2 late goals in the final minute to win 5-2. 

Whistler Winterhawks vs Hammarby IF 60 (Stanley’s Grill 60+): 
In a game that saw both teams holding a lead at one point, these two squads went back and forth with both groups carrying the play at different times in the game. After Hammarby scored a short-handed goal to go up 4-3 in the 3rd period, Winterhawks player #7 Dave Brownlie scored his third goal of the game to even things up with 8:15 left to go. The Winterhawks weren’t done there as #15 Rob McSkimming scored the game-winner with 5:04 remaining. 

Predators vs Smooth Grooves (McArthurglen Designer Outlet Women): 
The Smooth Grooves from Canada got off to a hot start this tournament defeating their opponents on Monday. The Smooth Grooves were led offensively by #87 Danna Buddy who finished the game with 4 goals while her teammate #23 Eileen Volpatti recored a shutout in their tournament opener. 

Calgary Hornets vs Wathla Warriors (Xbox 19+): 
Calgary Hornets player #7 Mikael Jung scored early before adding his second of the game with 25 seconds remaining in the first frame. One goal proved to be enough as the Warriors couldn’t find the back of the net against Hornets goalie #33 Tyson Chalus. The Hornets ended this game with a 4-0 win. 

Sudseekers vs HC Salem (Lulu Island Winery 55+):
The Sudseekers from Canada squared off against the HC Salem from Kazakhstan in what proved to be a defensive battle for most of the game. Although we witnessed an outstanding performance by HC Salem goalie Brian Ogus making 30 saves, the Sudseekers found the back of the net 3 times while HC Salem could only score 1. 

Hopoki vs Winroc Canadiens 
Winroc jumped out to an early lead in this one scoring two goals in the first two minutes of play. They added a late goal in the second period to take a 3-0 lead into the 3rd period. Hopoki didn’t quit and continued to push ultimately adding two goals in the third period. Winroc was able to hold on for a 3-2 win in a close game. 

Pitea VIP vs Transgund 45 (Gadar Promotions 45+): 
After exchanging goals in the first period, Pitea VIP turned up the pressure in the second leading to 3 goals in the second. Led by #27 Niklas Strandberg and #11 Stefan Westerlund who both scored twice, Pitea finished this one with a 5-3 victory. 

Disepapat 60 vs Rusty Cranks (Stanley’s Grill 60+): 
With standout performances by #21 Martti Jaakonmoki (3 goals, 3 assists) and #8 Vesa Talvela (3 goals), the Finnish squad started their tournament with a convincing win over the Rusty Cranks. 

Port Alberni Blues vs Spare Parts Store (Lulu Island Winery 55+): 
It was a team effort for the Spare Parts Store in their first game of the tournament as 5 different goal scorers found the scoresheet in their 5-0 win. Goaltender Jeff Corneil starts his tournament off with a big shutout. 

Goal Diggers vs Brigade (Xbox 19+): 
Brigade player #91 Kyle Williams got the party started in their first game scoring the teams first 3 goals on route to a 8-1 win. Goal Diggers player #69 Jens Ivarsson was the lone player from his team to find the scoresheet. 

Ladner Fisherman vs Quesnel Goldpanners (iPlayHockey 50+): 
Goal scoring was on display as the Fisherman and Goldpanners went back and forth combining for over 50 shots and 13 goals. The Goldpanners took a 6-3 lead into the third period when the Fisherman put together a late comeback attempt but ultimately came up short. The final of this one was 7-6. 

Fitchburg USA 50 vs Roadrunners (iPlayHockey 50+): 
Teammates Darin Kreps and Rob Hawes linked up a few times in this one to lead the offensive charge for the the Roadrunners as they defeated Fitchburg USA 50 6-1. #9 Pierre Haines scored in the second period for the lone Fitchburg goal. 

Transgund 55 vs Disepapat 55 (Cyclone Taylor Source for Sports 55+): 
It was a Finland vs Sweden matchup for this game as these two teams went back and forth for the full game. With both teams holding leads throughout the game, 3 periods and overtime proved to not be enough to declare a winner for this one as the final result was a 3-3 draw. 

Burnaby Fire Dep’t vs Devs (Molson Canadian 25+): 
It was a defensive duel for the first half of the game until both teams found their offensive stride resulting in 8 total goals in the 3rd period. Devs player #29 Nigel Smith had a huge period with 2 goals and 1 assist leading his team to a 9-3 victory. 

Fossils vs Orebro IK (Herbaland 55+): 
Orebro IK were throwing everything at the net on Monday putting up a total of 42 shots in their 5-1 win over the Fossils. Orebro also shared the wealth with 5 different goal scorers finding their way onto the game sheet. 

SSM Hockey vs White Rock Knights (Herbaland 55+): 
SSM Hockey jumped out to an early lead with a powerplay goal in the first period but the White Rock Knights eventually found their offensive stride exploding for 6 goals in the third period leading to a 8-4 win. White Rock Knights player #16 Andy Gribble showed it’s not all about scoring as he put up 3 assists in the final period. 

Ukkometsot vs Langley Bears (River Rock Casino Resort 50+): 
Ukkometsot player #53 Kimmo Latinen led his team with 2 goals as they defeated the Langley Bears by a score of 4-1. #17 Paul Sanders was the lone goal scorer for the team from just down the road of Richmond, BC. 

Trojans vs Old Foxes (Cyclone Taylor Source for Sports 55+): 
Both teams showed up ready to play as they each scored a pair of goals in the opening period. Old Foxes player #10 Mika Suojanen had a huge game scoring 3 goals and adding 2 assists as his team squeaked out a close 6-5 win over the Trojans. 

Old Classics vs Global Oldtimers (Lawrie Insurance Group 70+): 
The Global Oldtimers from England kickstarted their tournament on Day #1 with an early goal from #5 Jim St. Onge, who eventually found the net again in the 3rd period. Old Classics #14 Bruce Stevens added the lone goal for the Canadian-side in their 7-1 defeat. 

Osteraker Mariners 50 vs Vasby Legends (River Rock Casino Resort 50+): 
It was a Sweden vs Sweden matchup with Vasby jumped out to an early lead scoring in the first minute of this one. Vasby continued to carry the majority of the play and were led offensively by Jonas Oberg who finished the game with 4 goals. 

Northshore Huskies vs Peruspumppu (Vancouver Sign Group 65+): 
The Finnish team Peruspumppu found the back of the net twice in the first period before the Huskies answered with a goal to go into the second period trailing 2-1. #62 Juhani Lehmusvirta scored twice in the second frame to put his team ahead which was enough to secure the 5-3 victory for Peruspumppu. 

Oldtimers Val D’or 55 vs The Mariners (Cyclone Taylor Source for Sports 55+):
Mariners player #11 Mike Sturgeon got this game started with a hat-trick in the first period as the BC team showed off their offensive capabilities early. The Oldtimers continued to battle scoring a couple goals but these proved to not be enough as the Mariners finished with a 7-2 win. 

Cyclone Taylor Sports vs Lakers (Vancouver Sign Group 65+): 
Cyclone Taylor Sports started this game with the only two goals in the first period, and their late first period power play goal proved to be enough as they defeated the Lakers 5-1.