Sr. C
The battle of Cowichan continued on June 7 when the senior C Thunder and Cowichan River Rats went head-to-head for the third and final time in regular-season play. Both previous games were won by the Thunder. The first, by a convincing 13-3 score but in their second meeting the Thunder won by just one goal. That final score was 8-9.
The Thunder looked to continue their unbeaten streak against the Rats but the Rats had other ideas. The Thunder got the game's first two goals, from Jake McCluskey and Ty Salmon but Jared Meservia and Dylan Dewarle quickly tied it up. Tyson Black pushed the Thunder ahead just before the first intermission and then gave his team a 4-2 lead early in the second period before Dewarle potted a pair to pull the Rats even by the end of the second.
The third period opened with a goal from Black and Dewarle countering with two. A goal from a call-up gave the Rats a 7-5 lead but the Thunder kept battling. Devyn Zunti scored to make it 7-6 but Meservia countered with his second of the game for the Rats for an 8-6 Rats lead. Mat Jung scored a pair to tie the score and Zunti got his second of the game with two and a half minutes left and it proved to be the game winner, giving the Thunder a clean sweep over the Rats. The teams may see each other in the playoffs however.
The Rats beat the Sharks 12-7 on June 14 at home while the Thunder played host to the Victoria Blazers, winning 7-4.
The Thunder played the Victoria Tugmen on June 17 on the road but the score was not available by the Citizen's press time.
Up next for the Rats is a June 19 away game against the Victoria Jokers.
Jr. B
The Jr. B Cowichan Thunder split a pair of games June 8 and 9. On June 8 the team travelled to Strathcona Gardens to beat the Campbell River Ravers 14-12. According to the PNJLL statistics, Nate Akhurst led the way with seven goals and two assists while Easton Jubenville put up a hat-trick and four helpers. Other goals came from Player of the Game, Jackson Sampare (2), Brett Beauchamp, and Jesse Bell.
The following night it was Sampare who led Cowichan's scorers in a 17-10 loss to the Saanich Express at Kerry Park Arena. He scored two goals and two assists. Jack Isherwood also scored a pair with singles coming from Jubenville, Owen Papineau, Josh MacDonals, Rees Aebischer, Marcus Parmar, and Addison Urquhart.
Third in league standings heading into their June 16 game, the Thunder had a chance to catch up to the visiting Westshore Bears, who sat two points ahead of them.
U17
On June 6 the U17 Cowichan Thunder tied Peninsula 6-6 before being defeated by Alberni/Oceanside 11-8 on June 8. The following evening, Cowichan lost the second of a home-and-home series with Alberni/Oceanside 8-4.
Maddi Solecki was the team's MVP against Peninsula while Marcus Jones and Sada Bennefield were MVPs in the next two games respectively.
The U17 squad then entered the Raised in a Cage tournament in Kelowna this past weekend and opened the competition with a rare shut out. The Thunder beat Kamloops 13-0 with Jones the game MVP, Darwin Clark the winner of the Heart and Hustle award and Solecki the team MVP.
In their second game, Nelson Sylvester won the Heart and Hustle award while Cruiz Heemskerk took the MVP honours in a 14-6 victory.
Game 3 of pool play was a 6-5 win that featured Bennefield as the team's MVP, Jett Blosky as the game MVP, and Owen Blace as the Heart and Hustle winner.
In the semi-finals Heemskerk was the game MVP while Sully Steeves took the Heart and Hustle award. Seamus Rourke was the team MVP. The team lost that game 10-5, however, and went on to play for third and fourth place overall.
In the bronze medal game, Rourke was the MVP while Clark took the Heart and Hustle award. The U17 Thunder went on lose 8-5 to place fourth in the tournament.
The U17 Thunder also met Saanich at Pearkes Recreation Centre on Tuesday, June 17. The score was not available by the Citizen's press deadline.
U13
Cowichan's U13 Thunder beat Nanaimo 10-1 in their final regular season game of the season on May 31. Nova Heemskerk was the Player of the Game. The team won their first playoff game by forfeit on June 14 against Juan de Fuca. The Thunder then fell 6-4 to Comox Valley to end their season.
The 2025 U13 Thunder are: Bentley Kinnaird, Brodie West, Brynlee West, Colton Maxey, Fynnegan Grumme, Jack McKamey, Jack Graham, Jackson Reid, Jordan Campbell, Kohan Solecki, Landon Zorisky, Logan Lodge, Nick Homes, Nova Heemskerk, Oliver Scow, Ryker Wetherill, Rylan Watson, Sally Frenchy Thorne, Silas Degagne, and Tayt Clarke. The team was coached by head coach Dylan Dewarle and assistants Paul Yaremus and Trey West. Their managers were Amy Graham and Christina Lavoie.
U11
The U11 Cowichan Thunder wrapped up their season with three games in four nights earlier in the month.
June was the Thunder's best month, with the team beating Peninsula U11-1 11-7 on Saturday, June 7, tying Victoria-Esquimalt 8-8 the following day, and then tying Juan de Fuca U11-4 by a 7-7 score in their final league game of the season on June 10.
The team's progress is noteworthy as Cowichan had played JDF4 earlier in the season and fell 13-6.
Carter Arsenault, Ryker Gowanlock, and Ethan Fornasa earned Player of the Game honours respectively, while the Loose Ball Lunatic awards went to Rhys Lloyd, Shae McNeil, and Aven Mann.
The 2025 U11 Cowichan Thunder are: Austin Maybury, Aven Mann, Carter Arsenault, Dash Grumme, Eli Frenchy Thorne, Emmy Rothbauer, Emma Spooner, Emmery Turner, Ethan Fornasa, Everett Degagne, Hayden Scott, Korbin Webb, Levi Wong, Mateo Janzen, Owen Butlin, Parker Ketch, Rhys Lloyd, Ryker Gowanlock, and Shaw McNeil. The team was coached by head coaches Jeremy Spooner, Kevin Rothbauer, and assistants Andrew Ketch and Kevin Lloyd. Amanda Fornasa was the team's manager.
