OC Hockey, SDIA, Escondido win Spectacular banners By Brian McDonough F
our teams were crowned champions at the recent New Year’s
Spectacular tournament, which was held at Iceoplex Escondido from Dec. 28-31.
Seventeen teams - all from
California - competed in four divisions, with OC Hockey Club (Pee Wee AA), the Iceoplex Penguins (Pee Wee B, Squirt B) and San Diego Ice Arena (SDIA) Oilers (Mite B) taking home the championship banners.
“It was great event with a lot of good competition,” said tournament director Grecia Bocharov. “We’re hoping to build some momentum off of its success into the coming years.” OC Hockey Club’s 2000s celebrated the championship in the Pee Wee AA division after defeating OC’s 99 team, 2-1, in a shootout in the finale. Nick Mauthe scored with three and a half minutes left in regulation (Brian Clem assisted) to send the game into overtime, and Ethan Pittman notched the only goal of the shootout.
Between the pipes Connor Duffy stopped 30 of 31 shots in regulation and overtime and all three in the shootout. “It was truly a great team effort by everyone; all of our players stepped up,” said coach Darryl Tiveron, whose team went 5-1 in the round robin while outscoring its opponents, 23-6. Pittman (six goals) and Mauthe (six assists) led OC’s scoring attack with seven points apiece. Duffy picked up
Jake Maurer connected for four goals in the finale for Escondido, which went 2-1 in the round robin.
“I couldn’t have asked for more from the team,” said coach Chris Elhardt. “Everyone had a role and they all stepped up when it was their time.” Maurer led the Penguins with 11
goals, and Luke Van Laeys chipped in a team-high four assists. In goal, Cameron Leek picked up the first two wins in the preliminary round, while Patrick O’Donnell backstopped the team to victory in the championship game.
A total team effort propelled OC Hockey Club’s 2000 team to the Pee Wee AA division championship at last month’s New Year’s Spectacular tournament in Escondido.
three wins in goal.
“This team keeps getting better as the season wears on,” Tiveron added. “We lost a lot of close games earlier in the year, but now we’re figuring out what we need to do to win.”
The hometown Escondido Penguins captured the championship in the Pee Wee B division after wrapping up the event with a 3-2 record, including a 3-2 overtime triumph over SDIA in the finale.
Mitchell Moore struck for the OT game-winner for the Pens, while goaltender Zach Kalscheur came up big between the pipes.
“We knew it would take a total
team effort to give us any chance at all (against SDIA), and that’s exactly what we got: a total team effort from top to bottom,” said coach Matt Moore. Ryan McCulloch led Escondido in scoring with six points on four goals, with Jack Dwyer finishing with five points (three goals) along with Moore (three goals).
“Every player out there gave 100 percent,” Matt Moore added. “I’m proud of each and every one of them.” In the Squirt B division, the Penguins downed the La Jolla Jaguars in the championship game, 8-5, avenging a 9-6 loss to La Jolla the day before.
“I’m very proud of this team and their accomplishment,” Elhardt added. SDIA was crowned champions of the Mite B division after fashioning a 3-1 record at the Spectacular, including a convincing 6-1 triumph over La Jolla in the championship contest. Ben Ivey (hat trick) and Jack Ivey (two goals, two assists) led the offensive charge in the title game, and goaltender Kenneth Baek turned aside 17 of 18 shots.
Overall for the tournament, Ben Ivey (six goals, two assists), Timothy Conley (five goals, three assists) and Jack Ivey (four goals, six assists) were the Oilers’ top point-getters, while Baek took the decision in all four games. “Every player, every battle won, every shift and every period mattered,” said coach Gary Andreassi. “From the tremendous efforts of our goalie up through the defense and every forward, it was a team effort through and through.”
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