The Springbank Whalers of Calgary iced the Vancouver Thunderbirds 1-0 to win the 42nd Coca-Cola Pee Wee Invitational Hockey Tournament at Civic Arena.
Benson Young went top shelf from the slot on Vancouver goalie Jordy Engleson at 7:09 on a second-period powerplay. Jack Thompson and Jonathan Tychonick drew the assists.
Both Engleson and Riley Fonger of the Whalers were rock-solid net detectives in a tight-checking affair. The Whalers tossed their sticks and gloves in the air at the buzzer and mobbed Fonger before they received the Amy Myles A championship trophy.
It marked the eighth time in tournament history a team from Alberta has claimed the title. Vancouver won the 2012 event.
The Vernon Watkin Motors Mustangs toppled the Nanaimo Clippers 5-2 in the B event final, collecting the Alex Kuly Trophy.
CJ Storey scored twice for the Mustangs, while Joe Eggert, Dylan Sedlacek and Dawson Chase, on a coast-to-coast beauty, completed the offence in front of Jordan Wilde and Nick Higgs. Mika Burns bagged a pair of assists.
Dawson Heathcote and Will Cookman countered for the Clippers.
Springbank’s Geoff Sanderson, a former NHL winger, was honoured with the Ernie Kowal Memorial Award as the tournament’s Top Coach. The Spokane Chiefs took home the Dan Oxnard Memorial Award as Most Sportsmanlike Team.
For further coverage on the Coca-Cola Classic, please see Wednesday’s Morning Star.
