On the heels of Nelson’s West Kootenay bantam house championship, the pee wee Leafs have also become regional champions.
In a tense shootout against Grand Forks last weekend the team earned the top honour after tying the game 4-4.
“They were playing like a team. They were playing solid. They really stepped up their game and played better than I expected,” said coach Dean Centrone.
Two star players were Seamus Boyd and Callum Cutler, who scored the two shootout goals.
Boyd used a back-handed deke to get the puck past the Grand Forks goalie, while Cutler fired his last shot into the top-right corner.
“They’re both solid forwards who played hard and played well,” said Centrone.
Nelson had a number of close calls during the tournament, which saw them go to a shootout more than once. They defeated both Trail and Castlegar before tying with another Nelson team.
Centrone said their superior goal-scoring kept them safely ahead.
The boys were thrilled at the victory.
“It was a great way to end the season. The kids have improved so much,” said Centrone.
