Ron Valentine: Featured Writer
On a sunny Saturday morning in Summerside PEI there were four teams remaining in the quest for National Jr A hockey supremacy, the Centennial Cup, the host Summerside Western Capitals, celebrating their 45th anniversary season; the LHJAAAQ’s College Francais de Longueuil; the MJHL’s Niverville Nighthawks and the OJHL’s Toronto Patriots.The semifinals pitted the Nighthawks against the Patriots in game one and the College and Capitals in the second game. Because of their first place finishes in their respective divisions the Nighthawks and the College received byes into the round of the last four.
While the Patriots went 2-2 in the round-robin action the Nighthawks beat the Capitals 5-4 in overtime, Thunder Bay 7-2, Canmore 6-4 and the Rockland Nationals 7-6. With 7 goals and 10 points Adam Vigfusson led all Nighthawks point scorers, Hayden Wheddon had 4 goals and 9 points and Kole Mears 3 goals and 6 points. Vigfusson, the captain of the club, has committed to play USports hockey next season at York University. After the quarter finals the Patriots’ Cole Cooksey led all players with 8 goals and 12 points. Blueliner Luke Howard was tied for third spot overall with 10 on 1 goal and 9 assists.
Forward Alex Hebblethwaite returned to the Toronto lineup with Antonio Bonavota back on the blueline. Trey Caracciolo was in goal. For the Nighthawks Evan Panzer and Marlen Edwards came into the lineup on the forward lines while Luke Wagner drew in on defence. Niverville wore their black, red and gold uniforms while the Patriots were once again in their road whites. Neither team was lacking on offence coming in with the Nighthawks netting 25 goals in 4 games while Toronto found the net 27 times in 5 games.
The starting lineups for the Patriots saw Cooksey between Luciano Bruno and Kyle Morey and on the blueline Lucas Vacca and Gabriel Trozzo. The Nighthawks started Merik Boles centering Vigfusson and Wheddon with Parker Carrier and Jace Konecsni on defence and Austin Dubinsky in the net.
To say the Patriots had a bright start would be putting it mildly as Cooksey broke in for his ninth of the tournament, putting the puck through Dubinsky’s pads with 31 seconds off the clock. A four minute minor for high-sticking on Hebblethwaite but the Patriots would kill it off with relative ease, they found themselves short again soon after with Trozzo called for tripping but highlighted by three big saves from Carraciolo they managed to keep the Nighthawks off the scoresheet then, with a delayed penalty on Niverville, Bruno wristed home a shot from between the faceoff circles and it’s 2-0 Patriots after one.
Another quick goal for the Patriots at the start of the second as Morey picked up an errant pass deep in the Niverville zone and fed Bruno for his second of the game and sixth of the tournament. The score came at the 59 second mark. With four and a half minutes gone the Nighthawks got one back on a goal from Panzer getting the last touch and it came with the man advantage. The Patriots would pick up another penalty soon after but no further damage would be inflicted. Penalty problems continued for Toronto with Tate Collins off for two minutes for a slash at 17:14 and it would only take Niverville 21 seconds to get within one goal with Edwards blasting one from a sharp angle setting up a big third period.
The Patriots got their first powerplay of the game just shy of the nine minute mark of the third but could not get the finishing touch. It was a period full of tension for the travelling fans on both teams and after good chances at both ends the Nighthawks would tie it up at the 16:23 mark on a Calyb Moore goal and Boles put them ahead 4-3 on a deflection with just over two minutes remaining. The Patriots pulled Caracciolo with two minutes left and got a couple of good chances but the Nighthawks would prevail in the 4-3 final.
Vince Bellissiomo, Patriots head coach on the game: “I’ve been around hockey for 40 years and yes, I’m disappointed with the result. We killed all the penalties but one, had the lead with four minutes left but we could not get it done. The bounces did not go our way late. Having said that this is the best group of guys I have ever been associated with in my coaching career. Their character and talent on and off the ice has been second to none. We would have liked to have had one more game but I’m very proud of what we did accomplish. It’s especially tough for the players who gave it all they had.”
