Blades brush by Bruins

By Kevin Mitchell
Sports Editor
Vernon Morning Star

Calgary Trails West Blades

For 12-year-old Corey Dambrauskas of the Calgary Trails West Blades, it was the scariest two-and-a-half minutes of his life Sunday night. First, the big defenceman watched from the penalty box for two long minutes as the Burnaby Winter Club Bruins buzzed around the Calgary net in overtime.

Just 31 seconds later, with Calgary on the powerplay, Dambrauskas took a feed at the left point. He quickly fired a low howitzer which beat goalie Jaden Nicholas-Evans and gave Calgary a 9-8 victory at Civic Arena.

The Blades mobbed Dambrauskas after claiming the 38th annual Coca-Cola Invitational Pee Wee Hockey Tournament title. They are the first Calgary team to win the Amy Myles Memorial Trophy.

“I almost shat my pants,” smiled Dambrauskas. “I thought it (point blast) was going to hit the post and I thought they were going to get a breakaway.”

Calgary, who outlasted the Abbotsford Hawks 9-7 in semifinal action Saturday afternoon, grabbed a 6-0 lead on Burnaby seven minutes into the second period.

The Bruins battled back, pulling to within a goal when Cam Seto scored with 45 seconds remaining.

Bruins’ captain Matt Dawson equalized with 10 seconds to go, both late goals coming with Nicholas-Evans on the bench for a sixth attacker.

“They’re a good team and good sports,” said Dambrauskas, of the Bruins, ranked among the top-three teams in B.C. “I like that they never gave up.”

The Blades won their only other tournament of the season at Christmas, slamming Medicine Hat 10-0 in Swift Current.

The Bruins, who bounced the Prince George Cougars 4-1 in the other semifinal, were hardly on their game in the opening 30 minutes Sunday night.

“It was a good game, very competitive,” said the slick Seto, who collected 2+1.

“We got off to a slow start. We kind of weren’t ready, but we’re a hard-working team, and we came back. They’re a good team, pretty fast and pretty tough.”

Kyle O’Connor, who drew the second assist on Dambrauskas’s winner, led the Blades with 3+1, while Noah Muruve, who had the first assist on the winner, pocketed 2+1. Singles came from Carter Huber, Reid Duke and Ryan Graham.

O’Connor earned 2+3 as Calgary stopped Abbotsford in the semis Saturday.

Braeden Gurney and Viktor Dombrovskiy, with two apiece, and Matt Barzal, also scored for Burnaby.

Abbotsford, also rated highly amongst B.C. Tier 1 teams, stuffed the Prince George Cougars 10-0 in the B final, taking the John Kuly Memorial Trophy.

Jaydon Gliding and Jake Virtanen each scored twice for the Hawks, while Noah Juulsen (1+3), Jared Virtanen, Matt Revel, Mitch Skapsi, Frances Bamford and Kyle Baron completed the offence in front of Nathen Hargrave.

Jake Virtanen scored five goals in Abbotsford’s semifinal loss to Calgary. The Hawks lost Skapsi, their speedy and shifty captain, with a hit-from-behind ejection early in the first period.

The Edmonton SWAT Oil Kings grounded the Seattle Admirals 5-2 in the C final, collecting the Mickey McMahon Memorial Trophy.

Riley Simpson, son of former NHLer Craig Simpson, netted 2+2 for the Oil Kings, while other goals went to Bryar Ortynski, Georgio Estephan and Ben Sowa. Ryan Cratsenberg scored twice for Seattle.

David Osborne, Chase Lang and Nick Gomerich each fired two goals as the Nanaimo Clippers toppled the Vernon Watkin Motors Mustangs 7-1 for the Mickey Ogasawara Memorial Trophy as D event champions. Kyle MacDonald also scored for Nanaimo, who got three assists from Nolan Richardson. Cole Woodliffe replied for the Mustangs.

Bailey Shaver’s goal gave Seattle a 5-4 overtime win over Vernon in consolation play Saturday.

Prince George’s Al Loring won the Ernie Kowal Memorial Award as Top Coach, while Burnaby – least penalized in preliminary play – won the Dan Oxnard Memorial Award as Most Sportsmanlike Team.