(From Left) Ty Doolan and Jackson Payne celebrate a U18 Kings goal this weekend at the 2024 Milk Tournament. The Kings were nipped in a shootout by the Napanee Stars. (Jason Parks/Gazette Staff)
It was almost a dream ending for the Prince Edward County Minor Hockey Association.
The local minor hockey concern had once again rolled out the red carpet for over 650 players across the province for its annual Milk Tournament sponsored by the Dairy Producers of Prince Edward County.
In front of a crowd of more the 250 fans at Huff Estates Arena Sunday afternoon, the Prinzen Ford U18 Kings battled through overtime against the Napanee Stars, forcing the final game of the entire tournament to come down to a shootout.
The record will show the Stars shaded the Kings 1-0 in the penalty shot contest to claim the senior division title but there’s no denying the local minor hockey organization was the overall winner this weekend. The smiles on the faces of the players and their parents entering the Picton, Wellington and Deseronto rinks prove it.
Milk Tournament Director Mark Runions labeled the community’s support of the major fall tournament for ‘B’ classified hockey centres as outstanding and added the weekend was very successful as a fundraising event for PECMHA.
“It’s amazing when you see all these visitors show up in Prince Edward County to stay, play, eat and adventure in our backyards over the course of three days,” Mr. Runions told the Gazette. “It was a lot of work by the volunteers in our organization but without the support of generous and engaged community, this event wouldn’t be possible or as much fun.” He added all four of the Kings teams participating represented the community incredibly well, with their efforts both on and off the ice contributing in countless ways to make this event a success.
For the first time in recent memory, a pair of Kings entries made it all the way to their respective championship games.
The U15 Heidelberg Materials Kings punched their ticket to the finals with an outstanding effort in the semi finals against the Loyalist Jets. The Kings managed to fire a pair of goals 60 seconds apart in the first frame to build a lead they wouldn’t relinquish. Connor Davidson scored at 7:39 and then set up Caleb Krentz at 6:39 to get the Royalty off and running.
Brayden Koopmans set up Licoln Doxsee in the second to make it 3-0 Kings and then Captain Parker Osborne fired home an unassisted tally to go with an assist to give the skipper a two point contest. In net, Landon Latchford was perfect for the Kings in a 4-0 whitewash.
In the finals against the Kincardine Kinnucks, a tough first period proved to be the club’s undoing After Mr. Osborne fed Easton Vanhecke 25 seconds in to give the Kings an early lead, the Kinnucks exploded for five goals in the opening ten minutes including two off the stick of Colden Dalton.
Down a handful, the Kings did push back late in the second as Weston Byford and Mr. Osborne teed up Mr. Vanhecke on a powerplay tally but that was as close as the locals got to the champions from western Ontario.
In the U18 semifinals, the Kings were able to skate by the Penetang Flames 3-1. Griffin Lavender and Alex Lavender set up icebreaker Jayden Hass at 8:22 of the first but Penetang’s Carter Ross beat Kings starter Alex Pickle late in the frame to square the affair at 1-1. From that point, Mr. Pickle was outstanding in not allowing the Flames to get a taste of the twine behind him.
The Kings would pull ahead to stay with 3:36 left in the second when Jackson Payne’s volley hit the Flames net minder, went straight up in the air and slowly flopped into the visitor’s net to make it a 2-1 game. Jack Lavender and Jake Payne picked up helpers on the play.
Late in the third and with Penetang starter Kyle Beatty inching to the bench in favour of an extra attacker, Trent Bucknell had a dagger with 1:28 left to salt the game away for the Kings.
In the finals, the Kings built a 2-0 lead in the first thanks to a pair of goals by Jackson Payne however the Stars clawed one of those back for the end of the period.
In the second, the Stars got the game back to even with a goal late in the frame to make it 2-2.
In the final stanza, great goaltending by Jack Lavender kept the game deadlocked 2-2. After a scoreless overtime period, it was Carter Slaven scoring the championship winner on a deke, slipping the puck underneath the Kings goalie in the first round of the shootout.
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