Greater Trail hockey teams continue to achieve results in sending players onto the next level.
Beaver Valley Nitehawks goaltender Tallon Kramer played his last and most successful season of junior hockey in B.V. and recently committed to play for the University of Jamestown in North Dakota for the 2017-18 season.
Kramer, a Grande Prairie native, backstopped the Nitehawks to a KIJHL championship and Cyclone Taylor Jr. B provincial title in April, while posting impressive numbers through the season with a 28-5-1 record, a 1.81 goals against average and a .935 save percentage with four shutouts.
“Mind blowing how great he is and it’s because he works hard and is passionate about being his best every day,” said Nitehawks coach and GM Terry Jones on Twitter.
Kramer was instrumental in the Hawks run through the Cyclone with three wins and one loss, while stopping 120 of 128 shots for a .938 save percentage, and 2.02 GAA.
Kramer joins twins Allan and Michael Pruss, also former Nitehawks, on the Jimmies roster.
Meanwhile, two of Kramer’s predecessors, Carson Schamerhorn and Brett Clark (who also played for the 2014-15 Smoke Eaters) committed to play for Vancouver Island University Mariners of Nanaimo in its inaugural season in the BC Intercollegiate Hockey League.
Clark played for the University of Jamestown last season, while Schamerhorn finished up his Junior A career with the Alberni Valley Bulldogs of the BCHL. Clark, another Grande Prairie native, backstopped the Nitehawks to a KIJHL title, Cyclone championship and a Keystone Cup title in 2014.
Joining Clark and Schamerhorn on the VIU club team is former Nitehawks and Smoke Eaters forward Dallas Calvin who laced them up with the Selkirk College Saints for the past two seasons. The Trail native led Selkirk College in scoring in 2016 and was an All Star in the team’s run to their fourth BCIHL championship that year. VIU also managed to commit former Saints’ Alex Milligan and last year’s captain Tyler Kerner.