Goalie Drake Baron lost his bid for a second shutout, but his effort Sunday was more than enough to help the Port McNeill midgets to third place in their own minor hockey tournament with a 5-1 win over rival Port Hardy.
Jared Sinclair scored two goals and Ty Brittain, Dyllan Browne and Travis Hilts also found the net as the Whalers beat Port Hardy for the second time in the tourney.
The two teams also squared off in the opener Saturday morning, with Baron backstopping a 3-0 Port McNeill victory. Coming into the four-team tournament, the teams had split their previous three games, with each team winning once and the clubs skating to a tie in the other.
Kelly McLaughlin ended Baron’s second shutout bid with a wrist shot from the slot midway through the third period of Sunday’s rematch, off assists from Emily Heavenor and Patrick Walkus.
For Port McNeill, Brady Thulin had a pair of assists and Michael Farrell, Alex DesRochers and Hilts contributed single helpers.
Comox Valley went unbeaten and took home the tourney title, but needed a shootout to secure a 4-3 win over Oceanside in Sunday’s championship final. Earlier Sunday, Comox edged Oceanside 2-1 in the final game of round-robin play.
In the tourney opener, Browne, Sinclair and Zac DesRochers scored in the Whalers’ victory over Port Hardy. Goalie Corey Bell had a strong outing for Port Hardy, keeping the score at 1-0 until Port McNeill scored twice more in the final 12 minutes of play.
Additional tournament scores and stats appear in Scoreboard, page 14.
Bantam tourney on tap
The Port Hardy Minor Hockey Association will host a seven-team bantam tournament beginning Friday at Don Cruickshank Memorial Arena.
Three games are scheduled for Friday, featuring two Port Hardy teams and Port McNeill, beginning at 5 p.m.
Play resumes Saturday beginning at 7 a.m., and the playoff session begins Sunday at 8 a.m.
The concession will be open throughout, and a raffle prize table, 50/50 draws and a puck toss are part of the festivities.
Admission is free.
Peanuts showcased
Port McNeill Minor Hockey will host its annual Peanut Jamboree Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. at Chilton Regional Arena.
Teams from Campbell River and Comox will join Port McNeill and Port Hardy in the jamboree.