PORT McNEILL—The host Port McNeill Storm beat every team they faced during last weekend’s Port McNeill Minor Hockey peewee hockey tournament.
The Storm just couldn’t beat the Oceanside Spartans twice, and claimed the runner-up trophy after the Spartans snared a 3-2 win in Sunday’s championship final at Chilton Regional Arena.
The final was a rematch of the tourney’s opening game Saturday morning, with Port McNeill claiming a 7-5 win over the Spartans.
The Storm went on to sweep through the pool-play round, beating the Oceanside Blades 6-1 and the Oceanside Knights 12-6 to earn the top seed as the only unbeaten team entering Sunday’s finals.
The Spartans rallied with a pair of wins and won a tiebreaker for the right to a rematch. The visitors struck quickly in the tightly played, defensive contest, scoring in the first three minutes and adding a goal early in the second period for a 2-0 lead.
The Storms cut their deficit in half on Kris Joliffe’s unassisted shot from the left circle midway through the second period, then got the crowd fired up when Brenden Murray punched home a rebound of Kerrigan Sharpe’s attempt early in the third to tie it 2-2.
But Oceanside got the go-ahead goal with 9:23 remaining, and the Storm was unable to crack the goal afterward.
Port Hardy’s Roadrunners also took part in the tournament, placing eighth while finishing 0-4.
The eight-team tournament field was dominated by Oceanside, which entered five teams. Comox Minor Hockey and Gold River also were represented, and Gold River claimed third place with a 5-3 win over the Oceanside Knights.
Port McNeill Minor Hockey Association
Peewee Tournament
At Chilton Arena
Dec. 10-11
(Stats included for Port Hardy, Port McNeill teams)
Championship: Oceanside Spartans 3, Port McNeill 2
Port McNeill goals: Kris Joliffe, Brenden Murray. Assist: Kerrigan Sharpe.
3rd-4th: Gold River 5, Oceanside Knights 3
5th-6th: Oceanside Blades 3, Oceanside Thunder 2
7th-8th: Comox 7, Port Hardy 0
Round-robin
Port McNeill 7, OS Spartans 5
Port McNeill goals: Mercedes Trevor 2, Kaisha Laird 2, Cameron Grant 2, Kris Joliffe. Assists: Brenden Murray 3, Emma Mitchell, Rebecca Bosma, Kerrigan Sharpe, Joliffe.
Gold River 6, Oceanside Blades 2
Oceanside Knights 14, Port Hardy 1
Port Hardy goal: Lyam Donetz. Assist: Tyrone Wallas.
Port McNeill 6, OS Blades 1
Port McNeill goals: Laird 3, Murray, Joliffe, Liam May. Assists: Trevor, Randi Ward.
OS Spartans 13, Port Hardy 2
Port Hardy goals: Trey Morash, Isaac Williams. Assist: Riley Nelson.
OS Knights 6, Gold River 4
OS Thunder 4, Comox 4
Port McNeill 12, OS Knights 6
Port McNeill goals: Grant 4, Lucas Blount 2, Mitchell 2, Joliffe, Laird, Trevor. Assists: Daniel Jordan, Laird, Travis Shade, Murray.
Gold River 7, OS Thunder 4
OS Blades 4, Comox 3
OS Thunder 8, Port Hardy 2
Port Hardy goals: Tanner Roberts, Kate Gough. Assist: Roberts.
OS Spartans 7, Comox 4
