Coyotes 18U hosts Moses Lake Winter Classic

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Coyotes 18U hockey team went 2-1-1 as they hosted the Winter Classic Tournament at the Moses Lake Ice Rink. Head coach Scott Freidig said the tournament was a success.   

“It was an excellent event, well received by all 10 teams that participated,” Freidig said. “Our top scorer was Travis Shearer, who's also a senior and team captain, and he had a total of nine points. That's five goals and four assists.”   

The Coyotes faced four teams over the weekend. After the opening ceremony, where Sophia Villalpando sang the national anthems for the United States of America and Canada, MLC took on the Semiahmoo Ravens, where they suffered a 5-0 loss. From there, they looked ahead to the Saturday slate as they defeated the Sno-King Jr Thunderbird 18U 6-1 and tied with Seattle Junior Eagles 2-2. They finished the tournament Sunday with a 5-0 win over the Jr Kraken 18U squad.   

“They're doing excellent,” Freidig said. “The season is going well. As the season goes on, we get better because we generate more synergy together.”   

After the loss Friday, the Coyotes bounced back in a big way against the Thunderbirds. John Rainey, Keaton Betz, Andrew Strevy and Kaysen Pryor strung together goals that helped them take a 4-0 lead in the first period. Minutes after the Thunderbirds scored for the first time, Travis Shearer put the Coyotes up 5-1 heading into the second period.   

In addition to a second goal by Pryor, the defense stepped up the rest of the game to hold the Thunderbirds to a 6-1 final score.   

Later that day, the Coyotes were set to face off against the Seattle Junior Eagles. It was a slow start for both teams as they went back and forth with several close calls at the net. With just over two minutes to go in the first period, John Rainey threaded the puck into the net for their first goal of the game.   

“The game was intense across the board. It was very challenging. We played better defense, but our offense just did not execute as they should have. They just missed on multiple opportunities,” Freidig said.   

In the second period, the Eagles tied the game 1-1 in the first five minutes. About 10 minutes later, Rainey scored again unassisted to put the Coyotes up 2-1 as they went into the third.   

Both teams were defensively sound as they continued to battle it out on the ice. The Coyotes were able to hold the lead until the Eagles tied the game 2-2 with just over four minutes to go. With the score tied at the end of regulation and no overtime, the result was a tie.   

Despite the tie, Freidig felt his players showed their team chemistry throughout the game and the weekend overall.  

“There's a lot of synergy, these young men and women have been playing together since they were eight years old, so they have a synergy unlike other teams that you see out there at this level of play,” he said.   

Sunday, the Coyotes wrapped up the tournament against the Jr Kraken 18U squad. After some back and forth, Shearer put the Coyotes on the scoreboard first with a goal. Over the next three periods, Bryan-Artemio McDaniel, Betz and Shearer built their lead to 5-0 as they earned a dominant win to finish the tourney with a winning record.   

On Feb. 7, they travel to Yakima to play the Yakima 18U squad in a pair of games at 11 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. As the season progresses, Freidig and the Coyotes are focused on continually improving each tournament.

Freidig said he is confident with how they match up.   

“Most of the players know each other because they've been competing against each other for a decade,” he said. “Staying together as a team (is key), continuing to work hard at practice and then execute goals when given the opportunity.”   

ROSTER:  

Name, Jersey  

Stadyc Stromberg, 00  
Grayson Barlow, 4
Eli Hesse, 8
Andrew Strevy, 9
Keenan Russell, 10
Kaysen Pryor, 22
Bryan-Artemio McDaniel, 23
Simon Gagnon, 24
Keaton Betz, 33
Reese Porter, 44
Ethan Kling, 45
London Guernsey, 48
Kamden Pryor, 52
John Rainey, 63
Rossi Rainey, 64
Dalton Freidig, 65
Holden Koziol, 75
Travis Shearer, 81
Findlay Heslop, 94 

    Andrew Strevy, right, elbows for a position advantage against his opponent during the Moses Lake Coyotes 18U game against the Seattle Junior Eagles 18U.
  

    The Coyotes’ Travis Shearer (81) lines up for the opening face-off against the Seattle Junior Eagles 18U team.
  

    Travis Shearer, right, lines up for the puck to be put back into play against the Seattle Junior Eagles 18U team.