Six home and six visiting teams battle for the gold medal championship title at the Comox Valley Minor Hockey Association Spring Atom tourney March 17-19.
The annual event included teams from Juan de Fuca, Saanich, Cowichan Valley, Port Alberni, Port McNeill and Port Hardy. Home teams were the Royals, Fireballs, Heat, Blue Steel, Scorpions and Golden Rockets. After two days of round-robin games, three Comox teams took part in the final games for bronze, silver and gold.
The bronze game between the Royals and Fireballs was a barn-burner that required overtime and a shootout. Owen Forster scored his first goal ever, the only goal in the shootout, resulting in a win for the Royals.
The exciting final game was a showdown between Saanich and the CV Blue Steel. Both teams had incredible games leading to the final, which promised to be a nail-biter.
Until the final game, Blue Steel and goalie Felix Scott had only allowed two goals in three games. Saanich allowed nine.
The stands were full and there was a buzz of excitement in the air. Players from other Comox teams not in the final came to cheer on their fellow Valley players. Blue Steel player Parker Mowbray, who was on the IR and unable to play, even came to support his team.
Five minutes into the game, Kaden Silvestri scored the first goal after a turnover at the side of the net and followed up on his own rebound.
It was back and forth throughout the first. Saanich broke through the defence in the last 40 seconds to tie the game 1-1.
In the second period, a seeing-eye pass from from Kayden Labrecque put Everett Burch on a breakaway from the Saanich blue line, from where he scored the second home goal.
Late in the second after stealing the puck from a Saanich player, Everett scored on a partial break-away putting Comox up 3-1.
Four minutes into the third period, Everett got the fourth goal with a wrist shot from the slot after great passes from Milo Coghill and Ewan MacPherson, completing the natural hat trick.
The home side let a Saanich player slip through to score with seven minutes remaining, but they weren’t giving up. With less than two minutes to go, Charlie Duncan got the fifth goal from the right side of the net after a quick pass from the corner from Jacob Ennis, securing a 5-2 win.
Goalie Felix Scott made many great saves throughout the game, and stopped a penalty shot by a strong Saanich player.
Sebastian Kuzyk, Milo Coghill, Kayden Labrecque and Wade Bouzan played hard defence by blocking shots and preventing Saanich players from getting to the net. Quinten Sharratt, John Loewen, Aidan Perret and Ewan MacPherson were relentless on the forecheck, often causing opponents to turn the puck over, or preventing breakouts.
The Blue Steel team had an amazing tournament, allowing four goals against in four games.
Thanks to all visiting teams, managers, coaches, tournament co-ordinator, volunteers and parents who made the tournament possible.