The Comox Valley bantam B Wild were in Nanaimo over the weekend for the 39th annual Tim White Memorial Lacrosse Tournament.
When they return in 2020, they will do so as defending champions.
The Wild went undefeated to win 2019 event, contested at Frank Crane Arena.
The Wild opened the tourney with a resounding 14-3 victory over the Peninsula Warriors.
For their second match they reunited with the Port Alberni Tyees, continuing the rivalry which started two weeks prior during the Gone Wild tournament in Courtenay. The Wild took an early lead and were able to hold off a late rally by the Tyees to win their second game 11 - 7.
Their third and hardest played match yet was against the home team Nanaimo Timbermen. The Wild trailed the Timbermen up until the middle of the second period when they came from behind to take a 4 -2 lead going into the third. At the 14-minute mark of the third period the game was tied yet again, 4-4.
As time expired in regulation, the Wild were awarded a penalty shot. The Timbermen had pulled their goalie for one final offensive push. A turnover ensued and the Timbermen goalie was caught running back to his net before the extra attacker left the floor.
Wild rookie Nathan Sutter scored on the penalty shot to give the Wild a 5-4 victory.
Their fourth game was against the Delta Islanders, who, with outstanding goaltending held the game to 1 - 1 after the first period. The Wild pulled ahead early in the second with a pair of goals by Adam Bailey.
Olivier Laplante added a shorthanded goal while the Wild were killing a five-minute penalty kill, before The Islanders responded to make it 5-2 after two.
The Wild outscored the Islanders 3-2 in the third, for an 8-3 victory.
The gold-medal game was a rematch against the hosts, and it was every bit as close as the earlier contest.
The Timbermen got on the board first, midway through the opening frame. The Wild tied the game five minutes later, but the Timbermen restored their lead before the end of the first.
The teams traded great scoring chances throughout the second period. The Wild finally got one past the Timbermen goalie to make it a 2-2 game halfway through the second, then scored two more before the end of the frame to take a 4-2 lead going into the third.
The teams traded a couple of goals apiece to make it 6-4, and the Timbermen cut the lead in half with a late marker, but the Wild held on for a 6-5 victory.