Greg Song snapped a 2-2 tie to lift the Langley C3 Eagles to a 3-2 win over West Kelowna on Sunday afternoon, in the championship game of a bantam hockey tournament in Kelowna.
The win capped a perfect weekend for the Eagles at the 16-team tourney, which ran Dec. 11 to 13.
“A great tournament win by a hard working group of young men that truly care about their teammates on and off the ice,” Langley coach Clark Kemp said. “It was a great effort to go undefeated and win the championship game.”
The gold medal game against a feisty West Kelowna squad was Langley’s fifth game in less than 48 hours.
Joshua Laird put Langley up 2-1, converting a bullet cross-ice pass from Carson Yee.
After West Kelowna tied the score, Song (who was named game MVP) scored the tournament winner on a one timer in the slot off a nice feed from Trevor Young, who received the Heart and Hustle award for Langley.
Earlier in the weekend, Langley faced three Kelowna teams during the round robin portion of the tournament.
In Friday’s opener, the Eagles battled back from a 2-1 deficit to defeat the Kelowna Canucks by a score of 5-2.
Making a number of key stops early to keep Langley in the game, goaltender Matthew Reeves was selected game MVP.
Nick Cormack dished out three helpers and earned the Heart and Hustle Award for Langley.
Owen Kredba played a solid game on defense for Langley.
In game two, their first of two games on Saturday, Langley played a solid all around contest and downed the Kelowna Bruins 7-1. Joseph Deley scored for Langley and was named game MVP.
Defenseman Brady Lumsden shut down a group of strong Bruin forwards all game and earned Heart and Hustle Award.
Josh Moreau assisted on Langley’s game-winning goal.
Game three saw the Eagles faced the Wild, the top Kelowna bantam house team.
The Wild scored twice in the first period to take an early 2-0 lead but Langley refused to quit was rewarded with goals in the second and third period to earn a hard-fought 2-2 tie with the Wild.
Langley’s top forward was Lex Rohweder, who earned game MVP. Eagles defenceman Matthew Bardell-Polley was given the Heart and Hustle Award.
The tie gave Langley a first place finish in their pool and a berth in the semifinals.
The Eagles’ semifinal game versus the Kelowna Shark was played at 7 a.m. Sunday.
The early morning start didn’t affect the Langley defeated the Kelowna Sharks 4-2.
Game MVP for Langley Colton Kenney scored the game winner with the goal assisted by Owen Kemp.
Eric Nordal played a strong game for the Eagles and was given the Heart and Hustle Award.
Reflecting on the tournament, coach Kemp placing first out of 16 teams is “a true testament of this team’s desire to succeed.”
“As a coach, I feel blessed to have the players on this team,” Kemp said. “I couldn’t ask for a better group of players and their families.”
