Saturday, May 9, 2009

RBC Cup is set

Press Release

VICTORIA, B.C. – Chalk up another heart-stopping win for the Humboldt Broncos.

Seven days after shocking the Victoria Grizzlies by scoring the game-winner shorthanded with just 1.1 seconds remaining in the third period, the Broncos got an overtime goal from Shawn Hunter with 2.3 ticks left on the clock to upend the Grizzlies again, this time 3-2 in Friday’s semifinal.

The win puts Humboldt in the championship game on Sunday against Vernon (4:30 p.m. PT), where a win would make the Broncos the first team since Vernon in 1990 and 1991 to repeat as national Junior A champions.

The teams traded goals in the first 40 minutes, with Derek Lee opening the scoring in the first period for Victoria before Matthew Kirzinger – making his tournament debut – evened it up for the Broncos late in the second.

Justin Courtnall restored the Grizzlies’ lead early in the final frame, taking a cross-ice pass from Trever Hertz and tucking it around Humboldt netminder Mathieu LaRochelle, setting up a raucous celebration amongst the 2,105 in attendance at Bear Mountain Arena.

But Broncos captain Brady Wacker pulled his team even all by himself, notching an unassisted marker just 2:49 after Courtnall’s goal. It was the first point of the tournament for Wacker, who led Humboldt in scoring in the regular season from the blue line.

Overtime was the LaRochelle show – the Humboldt netminder made a number of all-world saves to keep the Grizzlies from making Sunday an all-British Columbia final.

With the seconds ticking down in the first extra frame, a shot from Taylor Piller snuck through the legs of Victoria goaltender Anthony Grieco and Hunter was Johnny-on-the-spot to poke it home, sending the Broncos to Sunday’s final.

Press Release

VICTORIA, B.C. – Just how dominating were the Vernon Vipers during the first two periods of their 6-3 win over the Kingston Voyageurs in Friday’s first semifinal at the 2009 RBC Cup?

Through 40 minutes, the Vipers had almost as many goals (five) as the Voyageurs had shots (seven).

Bryce Kakoske scored twice and added two assists to lead the offence as the Vipers advanced to the national championship game for the first time since 1999. They’ll have a chance on Sunday night to become the first team to win five National Junior A Championships.

Cameron Brodie added a pair of goals and Mike Collins and Cory Kane had one apiece as the Pacific Region champions overwhelmed Kingston in the first two periods, outshooting it 26-7 and taking a 5-0 lead into the dressing room.

The Voyageurs got goals from Justin Levac, Ben Power and Jeff Blackburn in the third period as they made the final score respectable. Kingston finished its season with back-to-back losses to Vernon, having dropped an 8-5 decision on Thursday in the round-robin finale.

Vernon’s back-to-back victories over the Voyageurs give them 24 wins all-time at the National Junior A Championship, more than any team in tournament history. They’ll go for 25 on Sunday (4:30 p.m. PT) when they face the winner of Friday’s late semifinal between Humboldt and Victoria.


(Nathan also is a writer for Maineiacs Post to Post and the Maine Hockey Journal. He can be reached at fourniern@students.nescom.edu)

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