Sunday’s BCMML game between the South Island Royals and Cariboo Cougars was anything but church-like at Kin 1.
The Cougars skated away with a 3-0 victory thanks to goals from Joel Patsey, Tyler Maser and Mason Richey.
The game was humming along quite nicely until a bone-crunching hit by Cariboo sparked a melee with 2:08 left in the third.
135 penalty minutes were handed out between the two teams including 5 game misconducts.
Cougar defenceman Jerrin Sutton provided the best fireworks during the line-brawl as his pummeled his South Island counterpart to the point where Royals starting goalie Luke Sheldrake jumped in head-first to defend his beat-up teammate.
For his part in the brawl, Sheldrake received a game misconduct, a third man in and a fighting major.
Joining him for an early shower was Matthew Baird, Devin Fraser, Alexander Benger, and Sean Sheldrake.
5 Cariboo players were also given the boot, including Sutton, Darian Long, Riley Krane, Devin Sutton and Brennan Malgunas.
After the game, Cougars Head Coach Trevor Sprague had a very poignant response for the rough stuff.
“That’s northern hockey. Things get rough up here. That’s ok and if you don’t like it stay back in Vancouver or the Island but at the end of the day you win the games and the fights and maybe even a team builder for the boys.
“Their goaltending was outstanding. They worked hard so they can come away with a few positives like not laying down for us.”
Cariboo heads to Kamloops next weekend to play the Thompson Blazers with a first place 9-1-0 record.
BCMML Scoreboard
Okanagan Rockets 6 Greater Kootenay Ice 1
Greater Vancouver Canadians 4 Valley West Hawks 3
North Island Silvertips 4 VNW Giants 3
VNE Chiefs 4 Fraser Valley T-Birds 1