California Rubber

California’s and Nevada’s Authoritative Voice of Hockey

Jr. Ducks boys, Jr. Sharks girls have amazing runs at USA Hockey Youth Nationals

 

Several California and Nevada youth teams at both the boys and girls levels competed at last month’s USA Hockey Youth Nationals at various sites across the country.

The LA Lions were dominant in capturing the Women’s C national championship. More on that incredible run HERE.

READ OUR APRIL 2018 ISSUE


Boys roundup: Jr. Ducks’ 16U team reaches Tier I semifinals

jr ducks 16_2

The Anaheim Jr. Ducks’ quest for a Tier I championship at 16U came up just short at the USA Hockey Youth Nationals in Pittsburgh last month.

The Jr. Ducks twice rallied to tie the score but ultimately lost 3-2 in the semifinals when Team Wisconsin scored with a little over seven minutes to play.

Down 1-0, the Jr. Ducks tied it 2:12 into the second period on Jackson Niedermayer’s power-play goal. After Team Wisconsin retook the lead with five minutes remaining in the period, Ryan Green tied it again with 31 seconds to play on an even-strength strike. But Cole Danielson, who had set up Wisconsin’s first two goals, tallied midway through the third to clinch it.

The Jr. Ducks went 2-0-1 in pool play, knocking off the Chicago Young Americans (6-1) and the Esmark (Pa.) Stars (5-2) before tying the Boston Jr. Eagles (2-2). The Jr. Ducks then defeated Detroit Little Caesars 5-2 on a pair of goals by Niedermayer and strikes from Ethan Wolthers, Joseph Harguindeguy and Josh Groll.

Groll and Niedermayer led the team with seven points, and five and four goals, respectively. Harguindeguy and Ryan Johnson added six points each.

In other Tier I divisions in Pittsburgh:

14U: The Los Angeles Jr. Kings went 2-1 in pool play but just missed making the quarterfinals as a 4-3 win against the Buffalo Jr. Sabres came in overtime. Arvega Hovsepyan led the Jr. Kings with three goals and six points, and Paul Minnehan and Aidan Hreschuk added five points apiece.

18U: The Jr. Ducks went 0-3 with an overtime loss to the semifinalist Eastern Mass Senators and a 2-0 decision to Shattuck-St. Mary’s. Logan Harris led the Jr. Ducks with three points.

In Tier II divisions:

14U: In Amherst, N.Y., the California Golden Bears swept their three pool-play games by a combined 19-5 margin, then knocked off the Jersey Shore Wildcats 8-3 in the quarterfinals before falling to runner-up Skaneateles Youth Hockey (N.Y.) in the 3A semifinals.

The Golden Bears’ Jacon Halliday led the division with 15 points and 10 assists, while Max Abramson had a division-best 10 goals among his 14 points. Tristan Lam chipped in 12 points, including five goals.

16U: In Wayne, N.J., Christopher Emery had three points, including two goals, to lead the Jr. Ducks, who went 0-3 in 3A but nearly beat the semifinalist Oakland Jr. Grizzlies.

18U: In Green Bay, Wis., the Jr. Ducks went 1-2, twice losing by one goal, including in overtime to the semifinalist Sylvania North Stars in 3A. Brandon Washiashi led Anaheim with three goals and four points, and Gavin O’Bryan added three points.

Photo/Danielle Swint/USA Hockey

— Chris Bayee


Girls roundup: Jr. Sharks make run, take silver in 19U Tier II national final

Tier 2 19U April 7th San Jose Sharks

A dominant run by the San Jose Jr. Sharks girls 19U team fell just one step short of a USA Hockey Tier II national championship in Marlborough, Mass., on April 9.

The Jr. Sharks rolled through their first five games but were stopped 3-1 by the host East Coast Wizards in game that turned midway through the second period. The Jr. Sharks tied the score on Elizabeth Burke’s strike 4:25 into the period, but the Wizards responded four minutes later with two tallies, including their second power-play marker, in a span of 2:48 for the final outcome.

Angela Hawthorne made 29 saves for the Jr. Sharks, who swept their competition in pool play by a combined 14-3. They knocked off the St. Lawrence Steel (Ohio), 6-4, in the quarterfinals as Ria Stevens scored two goals and Celine Long and Natalia Etter added third-period tallies to build a 5-2 lead.

Hawthorne then fashioned a 22-save shutout in a 3-0 semifinal victory over the Alaska All-Stars that included goals from Burke, Long and Evelyne Blais-Savoie. For the tournament, Blais-Savoie had 10 points (six goals) and Marisa Trevino added seven (four goals).

In other Tier II divisions:

16U: After an opening victory over the Carolina Jr. Hurricanes, the Anaheim Lady Ducks dropped two close games in pool play. Alexandria Young and Karena Barrett each had two points for the Lady Ducks.

14U: The Lady Ducks went 0-3 in pool play.

In Tier I divisions:

19U: The Lady Ducks went 2-1 in pool play, losing only to eventual champion Shattuck-St. Mary’s before being edged 3-2 by finalist Detroit Belle Tire in a quarterfinal. Ivy Boric scored both goals off assists from Samantha Smigliani and Savannah Gutierrez stopped 35 shots in the quarterfinal.

For the tournament, Smigliani and Brooke Bryant had seven points apiece for the Lady Ducks, while Boric had five goals among her six points.

16U: The Lady Ducks lost a close game to open pool play then dropped two more. Logan Arseneau and Marissa Gebauer had goals for the Lady Ducks.

14U: The Lady Ducks went 2-1 in pool play with their only loss coming to finalist Assabet Valley (Mass.) Red Major. However, going to a shootout to beat Chicago Mission cost them a quarterfinal spot. Mia Catalano led the way with two points.

Photo/John Carey/USA Hockey

— Chris Bayee


Trio of Jr. Golden Knights teams take in Nationals experience

jrknights2Three teams from the Vegas Jr. Golden Knights traveled to various locations last month to partake in the USA Hockey Youth Nationals events.

In its first year known as the Jr. Golden Knights, the program sent its high school team to Plymouth, Minn., in late March and then its Bantam AA team to Amherst, N.Y., and 16U AA team to Wayne, N.J., over the first weekend in April.

All three squads played well, but did not advance past the round robin portion of their respective tournaments.

The high school team lost 5-2 to Greenville (S.C.), 7-3 to the Wichita (Kan.) Jr. Thunder and then 9-1 to the Billings (Mont.) Bulls.

Individually, Caleb Day and Patrick Voors each scored twice for Vegas, while Brett Harpling and Joseph Heinzelman added a goal each. Jacob Paul played all three games in goal for the Jr. Golden Knights.

At the Bantam AA level, Vegas opened with a 5-3 win over the Wyoming Wolverines as Anthony Mazza scored a pair of goals, William Jacob notched a goal and an assist and John Purdy contributed two assists to back Zackary Ortolano’s 11 saves in goal.

The Jr. Golden Knights were then blanked 5-0 by the Park City (Utah) Ice Miners and then lost 5-3 to the eventual national champion Atlanta Fire.

Purdy, Jacob and Dominic Suhr scored in the loss to Atlanta, who won the 1A national title 6-5 over the Idaho Jr. Steelheads.

The 16U team fell 5-1 to the Charleston (S.C.) Jr. Stingrays, then 4-3 to the eventual 1A national runner-up Park City Ice Miners, Joseph Terrana scoring two goals for Vegas. The Jr. Golden Knights ended their tournament with a 6-4 loss to the Bozeman Icedogs.

In the finale, Terrana and Jacob Underhill each posted a goal and an assist and John Hallett and Caesar Redoble scored single goals. Hunter Barto tacked on two assists and Owen Kennedy had a solid showing between the pipes.

— Matt Mackinder

(May 2, 2018)

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