Flyers suffer crushing defeat to Rangers, fall 5-2

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — In what could be the most crushing loss of their North Peace Hockey League (NPHL) 2024-25 season, the Fort St. John Senior Flyers fell to the Spirit River Rangers on December 12th at the North Peace Arena.

One of two winless teams still in the NPHL, the Flyers had a two-goal advantage midway through the second period but fell 5-2 to the defending champions.

Flyers forward Nolan Lagace got the home team on the board at 8:39 of the opening period, putting the puck past Rangers goalie Kenton White.

Lagace’s sixth goal of the year was assisted by Dawson Phillips and Aiden Craig-Steele in a first where the Flyers outshot the Rangers 9-7.

Craig-Steele added his third of the year at near the eight-minute mark of the second before the Rangers stormed back.

Starting with Ryan Yaremko’s first-of-the-year assisted by Dustin Sather near the end of the second, Spirit River then scored four unanswered goals in the final 20 minutes of play.

Marco St. Pierre scored a goal just before two minutes into the third, and goals from Sather and Payton Lappenbush dashed the Flyers’ hopes before Sather added an empty netter near the end of the contest.

Goaltender Landon Hatton had 45 saves in the loss for the Flyers.

Sitting at 0-10-0 on the season, Fort St. John travels to Alberta on Saturday, December 14th, to face the only other winless NPHL team, the High Prairie Regals.

Puck drop is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. 

More details about the Flyers is available on their Facebook page.