The Sun Valley Midget high school hockey team (ages 15-18) went 5-0 to capture the Idaho Amateur Hockey Association state championship trophy Sunday at Joe Marmo/Wayne Lehto rink in Idaho Falls.
Getting well-balanced scoring throughout the weekend and outscoring its opponents 29-7, Sun Valley defeated Idaho Falls 7-1 in Sunday's championship game. Newcomer Matt Alloway scored two second-period goals giving Sun Valley a 4-1 cushion in the finale.
Sun Valley earned the right to represent Idaho in the Regional High School tournamant during mid-March at Tulsa, Oklahoma. Fund-raising efforts for the trip are underway.
"We came together well as a team and were well balanced. Matt Alloway was a great addition. He gives 110% and is real solid," said Midgets coach Andrew Hebert about Alloway, a Wood River High School student who has been playing for a Boise Triple A Select squad.
The SV Midgets beat Centennial 5-1, downed Hillcrest/Bonneville 5-2, got past Skyline of Idaho Falls 5-3 and routed Boise 7-0 and Idaho Falls 7-1 en route to the title. Goalie Regan O'Reilly was outstanding, making 84 saves, many of them huge, on 91 shots.
Jeff Conover scored two goals in the Centennial win. Sun Valley's leading state tournament scorer, Sinjin Thomas, had the three-goal hat trick against Hillcrest. Tyson Reynoso tallied two goals in the close 5-3 win over Skyline.
Sun Valley outshot Boise 35-14 in its 7-0 shutout—and Max Kwok delivered a hat trick. In the championship game, first-period goals by Travis Amick and Reynoso (2 goals) got the young Suns off the mark and they never looked back.
Coach Hebert said, "We're peaking at the right time and are on the upswing, with some tough competition coming up. But we should be well prepared for the challenges."
The Midgets compete in the Great Western Showcase Feb. 18-20 at Salt Lake City, Utah and then go to Boise Feb. 25-27 for the State Midget tournament at Ice World.
A Sun Valley Suns benefit night for the upcoming Midgets trip will be staged Saturday, Feb. 26 during a game against the New England Wings at Sun Valley Skating Center.
Weekend scoring at Idaho Falls: Sinjin Thomas 5 goals and 5 assists; Travis Amick 2/5; Max Kwok 5/2; Colin Almquist 4/2; Matt Alloway 3/2; Tyson Reynoso 4/1; Michael Connor 1/3; Carl Jablonski 2/1; Jeff Conover 3/0; Blake King 0/3; Anthony Quarles 0/2; Patrick McMahon 0/1; and Sam Samudio 0/1.
The SV Midgets pose with their state trophy. Front row, from left, Sam Samudio, Matt Alloway, Travis Amick, Patrick McMahon, Jeff Conover and goalie Regan O'Reilly (stretched out). Back, from left, coach Cruger Thomas, Alex Baron, Blake King, Carl Jablonski, Max Kwok, Michael Connor, captain Tyson Reynoso, Colin Almquist, Sinjin Thomas, Anthony Quarles and head coach Andrew Hebert. Courtesy photo
