The Campbell River Sharks midget hockey team won the championship game in tournament play this weekend at Rod Brind’Amour Arena.
Competition included teams from Powell River, Port Alberni, Nanaimo, Comox Valley, Lake Cowichan and Port McNeill. The Sharks emerged from the round robin undefeated with a 3-0-1 record and faced the second place Campbell River Wolves for the gold medal.
In an earlier game, Cowichan Lake Fuller Lake Flyers won the bronze medal with an 8-2 win over the Comox Valley Courtenay Motorsports Grizzlies.
The showdown for gold between the Sharks and the Wolves on Sunday afternoon was a duel to the end in front of a boisterous crowd.
Scoring opened four minutes into the second period with Carter Coblenz of the Sharks scoring his fifth goal of the weekend.
The Wolves’ captain, Ethan Fox, tied the game later in the second period. Then the goaltenders took over with Michael Sampson of the Sharks and Austen Hack of the Wolves closing the door in an end to end game.
A 1-1 tie after regulation time was followed by an exciting but scoreless overtime leaving a shoot-out to decide the game and the gold medal. Jaret Knowles of the Sharks and Brenden Travanut of the Wolves both scored on each team’s first attempts but the next three shooters of both teams were beaten by the goalies.
The preasure was placed on the Wolves after the Sharks’ fifth shooter, Zachery Allemekinders, found the five hole with a shot, putting the Sharks ahead.
Goalie Michael Sampson then made one final save to give the Sharks the gold medal victory.