Thunderbirds, Pioneers show well in Quebec T
By Joe Paisley
wo Colorado teams now have memories that will last a lifetime after they competed in last
month’s Quebec Pee Wee International Tourna- ment. The DU Jr. Pioneers’ Pee Wee AA team won the
Colorado Avalanche’s qualifying tournament to book the program’s first trip to the famed 10-day showcase, while the Colorado Thunderbirds made their sixth straight appearance in the tournament’s top division. This year’s tournament featured four divisions
(Elite, AA, International B and International C) and teams from 15 countries, including Australia. “We’re very fortunate to have a good relation-
ship with (the Quebec tournament directors),” said Thunderbirds’ 12U AAA coach Kevin Fredrick, whose team skated in the Elite division. “We’re the only Pee Wee team in the state to go every year.” As the Avs’ representatives, the Jr. Pioneers
competed in the International B division where they went 3-1, losing to the eventual champions from Prince Edward Island (Canada) in the semifi- nals. “We beat them 3-2 in a scrimmage (before the
tournament),” said Jr. Pioneers coach John Kop- perud. “It was their first loss of the season, but they got us when it counted most.” The Avalanche organization, once based in
Quebec when it was the Nordiques, sponsored the team’s trip. “We can’t thank the Avalanche enough, and I can’t stress that enough,” Kopperud said.
The Thunderbirds lost both of
their division pool-play games, falling to Providence (Rhode Island), one of the nation’s top teams, and to a strong Belle Tire program from Detroit. “I couldn’t be more proud of the
team,” said Fredrick, noting the quality of the competition in the Elite division. “It’s an experience they’ll never forget.” It was mind-boggling for the
youngsters to have 10-12,000 fans on hand in Quebec’s Pepsi Coli- seum cheering their every move. Their parents and billet families, with whom the team stayed with for the 10 days, were decked out in Avalanche gear to show support. “The billet families were so
wonderful,” Kopperud said. The semifinal capped a big
In Quebec, Marti led the Jr. Pio-
neers with eight points (six goals) while Kopperud added six (three goals) and Ciolli five (two goals). Bancroft went 3-1 with 1.89 goals- against average. The Thunderbirds are led
upfront by forwardsGeorge Kandel,Matthew Francois, Cole Quisenberry, Jack Kilroy, Troy Sisson,Nick Kiemel, Con- nor Szmul,Declan Carter and Blake Buchanan. Timothy Hansen, Jake
Jacob Marti led the Jr. Pioneers’ offen- sive charge at last month’s Quebec Pee Wee International Tournament with six goals and two assists.
week for the Jr. Pioneers, who defeated the Boston Jr. Bruins (4-0), Anaheim Jr. Ducks (3-2 in a shoot- out) and Quebec’s Montmorecy Armada (7-1) before falling 5-4 to Prince Edward Island. Forwards Luke Ciolli,Matthew Kopperud,
Brice Novosel, Brian King, Jacob Marti, Jacob Adkins,Noah Watkiss, Josh Perez and Luke McFarlane all delivered solid performances. Blueliners Blaze Hubbard,Dustyn Loescher,
Colby Bukes,Murphy Gielow andNikolai Lys- sogor were strong defensively, as were goaltenders Colin Lebere andHunter Bancroft.
Barela, Riley Dunn, Kurri Woodford,Nathan Hodges and Noah Kiemel anchor the defen- sive corps, with goaltenders Jonah Giem and Jay Gleeson taking care of duties between the pipes. Szmul recorded a goal and as- sist in Quebec, while Quisenberry
also notched a goal. Carter picked up an assist. The Quebec event draws an estimated 200,000
fans over the 10 days and boasts a full-time, year-round staff that keeps the festival running smoothly. “It’s a very well-run tournament,” Fredrick said.
“A lot of NHL players now say that their best expe- rience was at the Quebec Pee Wee Tournament.” Now, more than 30 Colorado youngsters can say
the same. “They’ll be talking about that tournament for the rest of their lives,” Kopperud said.
8
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20