By Ted Parkhill

This past weekend the Tahoe Grizzlies Pee Wees (ages 11 and 12) played a double-header at home against the Cupertino Cougars. On Saturday the Grizzlies didn’t know their own strength and ended up with 26 minutes of penalties.

Despite playing shorthanded for more than a third of the game, the Grizzlies dominated and won 6–2.

Reiss Jensen, No. 9 center from Reno, and Edward Parkhill, No. 7 right wing of Incline Village, had two goals each.

Janez Demsar Jr., No. 19 left wing from South Lake Tahoe, playing in his first season of organized hockey, scored his first goal of the season and his career. He was in position in the slot right where he needed to be. He buried it in the top corner of the net.

On Sunday, Tahoe set an easy pace and again it was a Grizzlies win 4-2.

Carson Bailey, No. 13 left wing from South Lake Tahoe, scored two goals and after that the Grizzlies never looked back.

With the two wins on the weekend the Grizzlies are in first place in their league and are assured of finishing with at least a third place spot in the overall standings. They still have two more regular season games — March 5 in Cupertino and March 6 in San Jose.

The Tahoe Grizzlies Squirts (ages 9 and 10) also faced the Cupertino Cougars for a doubleheader. On Saturday they played a tough match, but ended up winning 5-3. On Sunday it was a really close game. The Cougars went ahead by one goal and in the third period the Grizzlies poured it on, but ended up losing 1-0.

It is only their second regular season loss.

Following this weekend they remain in first place in their league. They still have four more regular season games (the next two are Feb. 26-27 in Oakland and San Jose, respectively).

Both teams are headed to the NORCAL playoffs in Vacaville on March 18–20.

This weekend the Tahoe Grizzlies Pee Wees and the Squirts are headed to San Diego to participate in the 2011 California Winter Games.

Ted Parkhill is with the South Tahoe Amateur Hockey Association.