Francis Howell Sweeps Weekend Games
VIKINGS TOP LIONS IN THRILLER
Francis Howell's Varsity team held off a late charge from Fort Zumwalt East in a thriller Saturday night, 4-3, at the St. Peter's Rec Plex.
Penalties played a big role in Saturday night's game for both squads. Howell junior forward Nick Trankler led off the scoring, netting a power play goal, assisted by Jonas Blankenship and Co-Captain Riley Wright, for a 1-0 lead. Wright then added an even-strength, unassisted goal to put the Viking up 2-0, but that's when the penalty bug bit the Vikings.
Fort Zumwalt East's Lonnie Land scored a pair of power play goals in the second period to tie the game up as it headed into the third period.
Francis Howell took advantage of a FZE penalty when senior Co-Captain Jonah Vaughn broke the tie, scoring his first goal of the season just over five minutes into the third period, assisted by Jonas Blankenship. Vaughn followed that up less than six minutes later with the eventual game winning goal, assisted by sophomore Charlie Jackson, and Howell took a 4-2 lead.
FZE's Land netted his third goal of game with less than a minute remaining as the Lions had pulled their goalie for a 6th attacker. The Vikings rallied to kill the clock and claim their second victory of the season, taking their record to 2-0-1 for the season.
Sophomore Jack Finch stopped 25 of the 28 shots he faced to hold off Fort Zumwalt East.
HOWELL DROPS HOLT 8-3
The Vikings scored early and often Friday night in a game against the Wentzville Holt Indians at the Wentzville Ice Arena.
Holt scored first as Joey Thompson snuck one past Jack Finch near the mid point of the first period to give Holt a 1-0 lead. Howell responded just over a minute later as junior Caleb Bridges netted a short-handed goal (assisted by Riley Wright) to tie it up 1-1.
The Vikings found the back of the net in regular fashion from that point forward. Sophomore Alex Griffith netted his first of the regular season just over a minute and half later, assisted by Jonas Blankenship, and it was 2-1 Vikings. Sophomore Charlie Jackson scored his first of the season, a power-play goal assisted by Jonas Blankenship to make it 3-1, before Holt's Thompson picked up his second of the game drawing Holt to within a goal at 3-2.
Jackson scored the eventual game-winner with just over a minute left in the period, assisted by Blankenship, and it was 4-2 at the end of one period.
Griffith opened the scoring in the second period, assisted by Pearce King and Caleb Bridges, just over five minutes in, making it 5-2 Vikings. Nick Trankler tallied an unassisted goal with less than a minute left in the period to make it 6-2 Francis Howell.
Charlie Jackson recorded his first hat trick of the 2024-25 season with an unassisted goal, eight minutes into the third period to make it 7-2. Bridges added his second of the game later in the third to make it 8-2 before Jackson Kerner tallied a late goal for Holt making the final score 8-3.
Jack Finch stopped 19 of the 22 shots he faced enroute to his first win of the season.
The Vikings will next host the Fort Zumwalt East Lions Friday, November 22 at the Rec Plex. Game time is 7:45 pm and admission is $5 per person.