The 14U Central Maine Youth Hockey Association girls’ select team captured the bronze medal at the Tier II national tournament in Lansing, Mich., on April 10.
The team started the tournament in round robin play against three teams from the northeast. They beat Niagara Junior Purple Eagles 1-0 in their first game. They lost 4-0 to the Bay State Breakers, and then moved on to bracket play by winning 3-2 against the Connecticut Northern Lights.
CMYH defeated New Jersey 1-0 in the quarter-final game against the New Jersey Colonials guaranteeing them a medal.
The CMYH girls were well matched against Wisconsin Ice Spirit in the semi-final game, with the number of shots and saves on net almost identical for each team throughout the three periods ending regulation in a 1-1 tie. The tie-breaker came in triple overtime with Wisconsin scoring for the win.
“It was incredible,” CMYH coach Steve Provencal said. “We couldn’t have asked for a better ending. Even though we lost, it went to three overtimes. It was fantastic. And, hey, we got the bronze medal.”
The Bay State Breakers, a Tier I Massachusetts team, won the national championship with an 8-0 win against Wisconsin.
“It was a great experience,” said Savanna Poole of Newcastle. “We played teams from all over and the competition level was high. It was a challenge, but we did great. We placed third in the nation!”
