After a pair of hard-fought games, Grand Strand Youth Hockey crowned two new league champions on Saturday.
In the Mites Division, the championship game saw the league-leading Mites Blue team fall to an upstart White squad that had yet to beat them this season. Throughout a back-and-forth contest, both squads skated hard and the game went deep into the second half before being decided 7-5 in the final minutes.
Led by top scorer Ivan Soto and coach Anthony Pioli, White took home the victory with a squad that included many new-to-the-sport skaters. Coming up just short after a strong season that saw them go 7-1 in the regular season, Blue was led by top scorer Mason Mowder, who tallied 3 goals and 2 assists in the final game.
On the Juniors side, the final matchup was between a Yellow team who had rolled through the regular season, thanks to strong offense and goaltending, and a Blue team full of skill, but lacking consistency. On this day, however, it was Blue who came out victorious, jumping out to an early 4-0 lead at halftime, before hanging on to win 5-4.
Led by top scorer Jake Sommeso, Blue found a way to win after having not been able to beat Yellow during the regular season. Coach Cori Ray's team took home the trophy thanks to solid play in net by Trent Taber and contributions from Nate Henke and others.
Yellow came on furiously in the second half behind efforts from league MVP Jonah Tuohy and a bounce-back effort from goaltender Matt Nerbonne.
Grand Strand Youth Hockey is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization devoted to promoting the game of hockey along the Grand Strand. Our mission is to teach kids of all ages and skill levels the game of inline hockey and give them opportunities for learning, growth, camaraderie and, most of all, fun, while playing the fastest game on wheels. For more information you can contact us by clicking here or call us at (843) 633-3150.
Grand Strand Youth Hockey
(843) 633-3150
The Market Common Hockey Rink
Emmens Avenue & Crabtree Lane
Myrtle Beach, SC 29577
info@grandstrandhockey.com