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Third title for AAA bantam ice Hawks
By Tom Berridge, Burnaby NOW reporter
The Tri-Cities Junior Americans came within two minutes and 45 seconds of being the first American team to win a Burnaby Minor Hockey Association AAA bantam tournament.
The East Washington select club was tied with Abbotsford 4-4 after regulation time and 10 minutes overtime before losing 2-1 in a shootout to the Abbotsford Hawks at the Bill Copeland Sports Centre Tuesday, Dec. 31.
It was the third BMHA title in the last six years for the Abbotsford association, including back-to-back tournament titles in 1997 and '98.
Tri-Cities looked a shoo-in to win the 40th edition of the BMHA Christmas tournament. The best of Kennewick, Richland and Pasco, Wash., dominated on the scoreboard throughout the first two periods and most of the third before giving up three goals in the final eight minutes.
Ryan Pajimola appeared to have iced the game early in the final session, snapping a quick wrist shot, his second goal of the game and third point, past Hawk game MVP goalie Mark Currie on the short side.
But Abbotsford's high shots-on-goal began to take effect midway through the final frame. D-man Thom Spring tallied on the power play at eight minutes, with Pajimola off for boarding.
Scott Fadden then got a lucky unassisted one, bouncing the puck off Americans' keeper Nicolas Haupt from behind the end line with less than four minutes left to play.
Teague Funk completed the comeback with a beauty, deflecting a hard slapper from the point by Chris Ickert over the shoulder of Haupt at 17:15.
"It was close. We played hard. We've been on the road a lot and ran out of gas in the end," said Tri-Cities coach Steve Compton.
The first-time bantam-level team practises just one time a week and does not participate in any league, but instead plays its entire season in tournaments and exhibition matches.
Earlier this season, the Washington State selects won tournaments in Kamloops, Nelson and Cranbrook, while also finishing third in the tough Chilliwack tourney, losing out to eventual winner Burnaby Winter Club, which chose not to defend its 2001 title at this year's BMHA event.
Tri-Cities opened scoring with Americans' player of the game Jason Reese putting away a one-on-one break in the first period. Reese was also named the tournament's most outstanding forward.
Pajimola and Seth Compton, with a shorthanded marker from Reese just over a minute later, made the score 3-0 in favour of the Americans.
Funk got one back for the Hawks in the first minute of the third period. Abbotsford outshot the U.S. team 42-27 overall.
Reese and Compton were both named to the tournament first all-star team.
"In some respects I thought we were lucky to get to the shootout. We had some chances in overtime and couldn't bury them," said coach Compton. "I'm extremely proud of the this bunch. We just feel fortunate to have the opportunity to come north and play against the talent here."
The Americans first foray into bantam rep hockey comes after just 16 years in existence. The southeast corner of the state has also seen the construction of three new ice rinks, which will benefit the future development of hockey in the area, says Compton.
Semiahmoo finished third in the tourney. Chilliwack's Nolan Julsethwhite won the most outstanding defenceman and Prince George goalie Jonathan Gould was handed the tournament's outstanding keeper.
Burnaby Minor, fourth-place finisher in the Wong Division, was eliminated in the opening playoff round 5-1 by Marino Division winner Kamloops Sunday. Paul Chong was named Burnaby's player of the game in the final match.
The host club drew 1-1 with South Delta on the opening day of play in the five-day competition.
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