For the second year in a row the Kerry Park Islanders atom A development team won gold at the Port Alberni Thanksgiving Atom Development Tournament.
The Oct. 5-8 tournament included five teams: four from the Island and the Surrey Thunder from the Mainland.
Kerry Park won two games on the first day of the tournament and two on the second, including a 7-3 victory over Surrey on Sunday afternoon, to finish first in pool play.
That set up a rematch between Kerry Park and Surrey for gold on Monday.
Penalties played a big role in the tournament final. Although Kerry Park was assessed just five minor penalties, Surrey scored two powerplay goals and Kerry Park scored three shorthanded goals. Islanders goalie Stefan Kostin also shut the door on a penalty shot by the Thunder.
The score was knotted at 2-2 after one period, but Kerry Park went up 5-2 in the first 10 minutes of the second. Bolstered by their powerplay goals, Surrey managed to narrow the gap to 6-5, but the Islanders added one more to lead 7-5 at the end of the second. Surrey got within one once more early in the third, but Kerry Park scored four unanswered goals to make it 11-6 when the final buzzer sounded.
For six players on the roster, this was their second consecutive win at the Port Alberni Thanksgiving Tournament. The rest of the players are first-year atoms.
Coached by Cam Bond and assistants Josh McKamey, Paul Morris and Terry Gill, and managed by Kevin Kostin, the atom A team includes goalie Stefan Kostin, Brendan Grisdale, Brodie Wade, Caleb Eror, Eli McKamey, Ethan Reynolds, Hagan Purinton, Mackenzie Bone, Maddoch Bond, Matthew Morris, Ollie Thibault, Owen Powell, Porter Williamson, Walker Gill and Zachary Grisdale.