Piperni Scores Short-Handed Game-Winner as U15 Canadians Earn Split vs. Hawks

Domenic Piperni scored short-handed early in the third period as the U15 AAA Greater Vancouver Canadians defeated the Vancouver NW Hawks on Saturday in a home-and-home split over the weekend.

GVC won 3-2 on Saturday at the Richmond Oval before dropping a 5-3 decision on Sunday at the Canlan Ice Sports North Shore. 

The Canadians are now 5-11-0-0 through 16 games. With 10 points, they are in last place in the eight-team division, two points out of sixth. 

In Saturday’s game, Koen Lee and Leander Han scored in the first two periods, as GVC and the Hawks played to a 2-2 tie through 40 minutes. Piperni’s first goal of the season 4:32 into the third period, though, put the Canadians ahead for good. Kaz Patrick-Russell was outstanding in goal, stopping 32 of 34 shots in the win, including 17 in the second period.

On Sunday, Han, Brian Woolfenden, and Maxwell Clemens scored for the Canadians, but it wasn’t enough as the Hawks scored five times to earn the series split. 

Sunday’s contest was GVC’s third game in three days, as the Canadians also played an exhibition game on Friday at the Richmond Oval, losing 10-0 to a U15 team from South Korea. 

Next up, the U15 Canadians hit the road, playing against the U15 Thompson Blazers on Dec. 21-22. Saturday’s game in at the Art Holding Memorial Arena in Chase, B.C., at 12:45 p.m. Sunday’s finale is at the Kamloops Memorial in Kamloops, with the puck drop at 9:45 a.m.