Delta Hockey Academy’s Bantam Prep Green team are champions of the inaugural Western Hockey League U.S. Challenge Cup in Kent, WA.
DHA capped off an unbeaten weekend with a 4-3 victory over Canadian School Sport Hockey League rival Yale Hockey Academy in Sunday’s title game, played at — accesso ShoWare Center — home of the WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds.
Captain Caden Brown’s goal near the midway mark of the third period proved to be the game winner as Yale made things interesting by scoring twice in the final six minutes.
Niko Tsakumis and Point Roberts’ Jamison Sluys with a pair of goals, rounded out the DHA scoring. Aiden Fischer got the win in net.
The three-day tournament featured 12 of the top-ranked bantam teams from the Western United States and British Columbia. The Greater Vancouver Canadians and Okanagan Rockets represented the first-year BC Hockey Major Bantam League.
Teams participated in an 18-game round robin, playing three games each. They were ranked from first through 12th, setting the stage for Sunday’s placement games.
Delta’s road to the title included a 6-2 opening win over the LA Junior Kings on a pair of goals and an assist from Ethan Semeniuk. The Wild’s second game Friday was a 4-2 triumph over the Rockets on goals from Ekam Dhaliwal, Oliver Tulk, Brown and Semeniuk.
DHA then secured a berth in the final with a 4-1 triumph on Saturday over Team Alaska on a pair of goals from Tulk. Loghan Weber had two assists.
D-man Carter Savage was named to the tournament all-star team.
The roster also features Lukas Dragicevic, Michael McIntyre, Peyton Mithmuangneua, Jordan Gavin, Deagan McMillan, Tomas Mrsic, Terrell Goldsmith, Tymon Sanikopoulos, Dawson Toledo and Felix Plendl.
The DHA Greens (23-1-0) now turn their attention back to regular season play where they will look to reel in idle West Vancouver (24-5-1) for first place with their final three games in Saskatchewan this weekend against Northern Alberta, Edge and Rink academies.
Meanwhile, the GVC Canadians settled for eighth place after a 6-2 loss to the San Diego Saints on Sunday.
The Canadians opened with a 5-0 loss to West Van, then defeated the Phoenix Junior Coyotes 4-1 on a pair of goals from Charlie Derrheim.
Greater Vancouver was then edged 2-1 by the San Jose Junior Sharks.
