The #1 Autobody PeeWee A Tyees are off to a terrific start in their season, having not lost a game in their tiering play and claiming Gold in the Seafair Annual Icebreaker Rep Tournament in Richmond Thanksgiving Weekend.
The Tyees got off to a great start in game one in the tourney against the Saanich Braves. Though Saanich got on the scoreboard first, Jacob Thomas tied it up soon after, and Aiden Watson would add another assisted by a beautiful play put together by Wyatt Dumont and Ian Mills before the period was over. Saanich would tie it up at the beginning of the second but it was all Tyees from there with Evan Billard, Breydan Riecker and Brian Majic all adding impressive goals, Thomas adding a second and Parker Bell scoring two beauties before the conclusion of the game. Final score was 8-2 and centreman Bell was named game MVP.
Game two was a nail biter against the Seafair host team. Again it was not the Tyees who got on the scoreboard first with Seafair scoring on the power play in the first period. However, Watson would tie it up at the beginning of the second and then Majic would get a second goal in the power play with a rocket from the point. Seafair tied it up shortly after and the game would go into the third period with a 2-2 tie. Goalie Marcus Shankar kept the Tyees in the game and demonstrated his athleticism with several key saves throughout. With five minutes remaining, Bryce Idiens would bury the go-ahead goal and Bell would put the nail in the coffin with an assist by Watson and the game would end with a 4-2 Tyees win. Watson was named game MVP for his offensive contribution.
Sunday morning, the Tyees faced the Seattle Thunderbirds. Again it was the Tyees opponent that opened the scoring but then Ryder Plecas put the Tyees on the board and minutes later he added another after a feed from Dumont resulted in a shot from Brayden Leeb and Plecas buried the rebound on the power play. The Tyees continued to dominate in the second period with Thomas adding a goal, Bell burying two, Majic with a howitser from the point and a great set-up by Ethan Vaton and Riecker and Plecas adding a third for the hattrick. The Tyees fell apart a bit in the third period making for a dramatic finish but they would come out on top with a 7-6 final score. Plecas was awarded the MVP for the hattrick. The Tyees would finish the round robin first in their pool with a 3-0 record.
Early Monday morning the Tyees were back at the Richmond Ice Centre for their Semifinal game against Whitehorse. The first period was hard fought with the Tyees having the advantage in shots but the White Horse goalie acting as a brick wall. The only goal in the frame came from Thomas. Billard would start the scoring in the second period with a wrap-around goal and then Bell would score with a beautiful pass from Thomas, followed by a break-away goal by Nolan Wyatt, two more goals for the hattrick for Billard with two assists from Idiens and finally a second goal from Thomas. Whitehorse would get on the scoreboard in the third frame with two goals but the Tyees would prevail with a 7-2 score and would advance to the finals match-up. Billard was given the MVP nod for his hard work and hattrick game.
The championship game Monday afternoon was a rematch with the home team, the Seafair Islanders and had all the makings of an exciting and dramatic finish to the tournament. The Tyees, weary from 4 days on the road and early morning games got off to a slow start, dropping 4 goals in the first period without scoring any. In the second period, Campbell River gained momentum but the only goal scored was by Wyatt.
Seafair was wearing down and at the seven and a half minute mark, Thomas scored with a feed from Bell and the stands started to liven up. Goalie Josh Doherty played an excellent game after coming in, making some super saves. Defensemen Majic added to the excitement with another goal with two and a half minutes remaining and suddenly the Tyees had a chance to win. It was Bell who saved the day when he deked out some Seafair players and shot a beauty top shelf with about a second remaining on the clock to win the game.