Cowichan Valley boy Jackson Beggs scored a hat trick in regulation, then added the shootout winner, as the 2010 Island Stars won gold in the Pacific Elite Prospect AAA Showcase hockey tournament hosted by the Burnaby Winter Club over the Victoria Day long weekend.
Along with fellow Cowichan product Darwin Ketch, Beggs was selected to the travelling team of eight-year-olds from Victoria to Campbell River. The Island Stars won three of their four round-robin games to secure first place.
They beat FV Sturgeon Green 4-3 in the semifinal round to reach the final, a rematch against the BC Bears, who had defeated the Stars 5-1 in their tournament opener.
The gold-medal game went back and forth, and the teams were tied 4-4 at the end of regulation. Overtime solved nothing, so the teams went to a shootout. After two unsuccessful shooters from each team, Beggs finally solved the Bears goalie and the Stars won the title.
Beggs finished the tournament with three goals and three assists in five games, and earned an invitation, along with Stars teammates Max Scheffer of Victoria and Kane Nicholas of Campbell River to play at the North American Hockey Classic (Male Super Elite division) in Winnipeg on June 14-17.
