Michael Toole photo by Dunsmoor Creative
The Hot In The KI 3 Stars of the week (Nov. 11-17) feature 100 Mile House Wranglers forward Darian Long, Kelowna Chiefs goalie Michael Toole and Beaver Valley Nitehawks defenceman Brock Wallace.
Long, 19, from Prince George, earns the first star as he helped the Wranglers to a pair of wins (5-3 over Summerland and Revelstoke) and was named the game star both times. Against Summerland, Long scored two goals and added an assist. His second goal, on the power-play, solidified the win. Against the Grizzlies, Long netted a hat-trick, which included a power-play and short-handed goal.
“It felt like finally getting into the groove. It’s also great to have our captain “Pager” (Kolby Page) back and play with him again,” says Long. “Obviously was nice to have a personal, good weekend, but all that truly matters was we won both games.”
In 17 games, Long has 11 goals and 17 points.
Toole, a Calgary native, helped the Chiefs pick up a pair of wins. Against the Kamloops Storm on Nov. 15, the 18-year-old turned aside 25 shots in a 6-0 win. The next night, Toole turned aside 10 of 12 shots in a 6-2 win over the Princeton Posse. Toole finished with a .945 save percentage and a 2.00 goals against average.
“It felt great, especially to have come so close in games against Sicamous and 100 Mile. To finally get one was a fantastic feeling,” says Toole of the shutout. “I feel I played pretty solid, but having such a great team in front makes everything that much easier.”
He improved his record to 6-1-0.
Wallace, 19, from Grand Prairie, Alta., earns the third star after collecting three points, including a goal, to help the Nitehawks defeat the Spokane Braves 7-2. His performance earned him a game star. He helped set up Angus Amadio to make it 2-0, then scored the Nitehawks’ fifth goal and assisted on their final tally.
“I feel that I played to the best of my ability for the team’s success,” says Wallace. “It’s good to see our hard work in practice pay off in games.”
In 13 games, Wallace has three goals and 14 points. He leads the Nitehawks blueline in scoring.
