Wednesday, December 7, 2005

Young Suns light up for home tournament

Midgets take first place in Sun Valley meet


Sun Valley Midget AA Invitational winners, front row from left, Regan O'Reilly, Patrick McMahon, Christopher Falcone, Colby Stoecklein, Travis Amick, Matt Alloway, Chad Levitan and Danny Ward. Back, from left, Joey Stevenson, Carl Jablonski, Blake King, Jason Heiner, Michael Connor, Max Kwok, Brandon Brocklebank, Sinjin Thomas, Spencer Brendel, Jeff Conover, coaches Cruger Thomas and Eddie Grimes. Not pictured, Sam Samudio and Kyle Cole. Photo by Willy Cook

The Sun Valley Midget Suns captured first place with a 3-1 record in their lone home youth hockey tournament of the season this past weekend at Sun Valley Skating Center.

Hockey teams from Jackson Hole (Wyo.), Ogden, Utah and Idaho Falls made the trip for the Midget AA Invitational but it was Sun Valley taking the victory with 2-0, 6-2 and 4-2 wins in addition to a 4-3 loss.

The Suns regrouped from a 4-3 round-robin loss to Jackson and beat their historical rivals in Sunday's decider with a bold 4-2 victory. Spencer Brendel led the way in the championship with two goals and two assists.

Goalie Regan O'Reilly was outstanding, facing 32 shots and making 30 saves.

Suns coach Cruger Thomas was pleased to see his team progressing in the still early-season tournament.

"We learned to have more confidence ... we are coming together as a sharing team and refusing to give up," coach Thomas said afterwards.

Sun Valley's quest began Saturday with a 2-0 over Ogden Golden Spike. Rapid-fire goals by Brendel and Sinjin Thomas within a 70-second span in the first period was all O'Reilly (25 saves) needed for the victory.

Brendel led the Suns on offense with five goals and three assists over two days and scored a point in all four games, including two goals in Sunday morning's 6-2 rout over Idaho Falls and in the final afternoon win over Jackson.

Other Suns scorers against Idaho Falls were Sinjin Thomas (2), Carl Jablonski and Chad Levitan. O'Reilly stopped 31 of 33 Golden Eagle shots.

The Suns established dominance early in the championship game, pouring 14 shots on Jackson Hole goalie Thomas Lewis and cruising to a two-goal lead by the end of the first.

Co-captain Michael Connor's power play goal with six seconds left in the first, on assists from Brendel and co-captain Sinjin Thomas, was a big one for a 2-0 lead. Jackson Hole came out and outshot Sun Valley 25-10 in the second and third but scored only twice.

When Brendel scored his second of the game in the second period for a 3-0 cushion, it was to keep Jackson down for the count. Two late goals from their determined squad didn't crack the Midgets who worked hard to hold onto the win. Danny Ward added an empty-netter with 31 seconds left.

Not only did goalie O'Reilly do a great backstopping job in the finale, he was excellent all weekend, saving 109 of 117 shots, earning an elite .930 goals against average.

Max Kwok was named the tournament Playmaker with two goals and four assists, three of which came against the Golden Eagles of Idaho Falls. Chad Levitan and Sinjin Thomas, two seniors, also had six points apiece in four games.

According to team manager Barbara Amick, the Midget's lone loss in Saturday night's game against long-time rival Jackson Hole was simply a case of "trying to show off."

The game fell on Senior Salute Night and the Sun Valley Skating Center stands were packed with high school kids rooting for the Suns and trying to throw Jackson Hole off its game. But it didn't work.

Jackson Hole scored two power play goals and Mike Cain gave the Wyoming visitors the winner with 1:38 left. Max Kwok scored twice and Jason Heiner succeeded on the power play for Sun Valley, which had 26 penalty minutes to just eight for Jackson Hole.

Despite the lapse, the tournament was notable for the Midget Suns as they did not earn a single game misconduct though they were whistled for a pair of 10-minute infractions.

Senior Night honored the team's outgoing seniors, many of whom have spent 10 to 13 years in the Sun Valley Youth Hockey program. They are Michael Connor, Jason Heiner, Chad Levitan, Joey Stevenson and Sinjin Thomas.

Their parents joined the seniors at center ice and Debbie Conover sang a splendid "Star Spangled Banner."

Cumulative weekend scoring results: Brendel 5 goals/3 assists, Kwok 2/4, Levitan 1/5, Thomas 3/3, Carl Jablonski 2/1, Heiner 1/1, Ward 1/1, Connor 1/0 and Amick 0/1.

Rounding out the championship squad were Jeff Conover, Matt Alloway, Brandon Brocklebank, Kyle Cole, Christopher Falcone, Blake King, Patrick McMahon, Sam Samudio, Joey Stevenson and back-up goalie Colby Stoecklein.

The local Midget Tier II team goes to Idaho Falls Dec. 17-18 and continues its full winter schedule in January.




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