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2009–2010 KCAHA Squirt Tournament Champions! |
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Squirts capture post-season tournament crown
by Brady Chaffin, Division Director
After wrapping up the regular season on a winning note, the Jr. RoadRunners Squirt
squad had the momentum they needed as they entered the KCAHA’s post-season tournament.
The only problem was they would have to wait three weeks until they would have a
chance continue their winning ways.
Game One vs. KC Stars-5 (2/27)
The Jr. RoadRunners
entered the post-season tournament as the #7 seed and drew the KC Stars-5 in their
tourney opener. The Jr. ‘Runners defeated the Stars in the regular season finale,
3-0, so expectations were high for a good performance. The first period proved that
the threeweek layoff had taken its toll on the team’s conditioning. But, the squad
was able to escape the first period without any damage.
During the second period,
the Jr. RoadRunners seemed to get their legs under them and started controlling
the tempo of the game. Nolan Omitt (#15) put the Jr. ‘Runners on the scoreboard
with a nifty top-shelf goal at 4:10 of the period. Braedon Breckenridge (#19) would
be credited with the lone assist. Breckridge would then light the lamp himself at
the 12:45 mark to put the Jr. RoadRunners up 2-0. Alex Ellison (#87) and Mason Romine
(#5) were credited with the assists.
As the time ticked away, Spencer Taylor (#4)
would tally his first goal of the season as stuck in a rebound from a Braden Chaffin
(#16) shot from the slot. Tre’ Burkett (#24) was also credited with an assist. The
Jr. ‘Runners took a commanding 3-0 lead into the final period. With a 3-0 lead,
the Jr. RoadRunners tightened down the defensive clamps during the final period
en route to a 3-0 victory.
Goaltender Trent Lick (#30) posted 12 saves in his third
shutout of the season. All three shutouts have come against KC Stars-5.
Game Two
vs. Carriage Club (2/27)
After just few hours of rest, the Jr. RoadRunners were
back on the ice for their quarterfinal game against the #2 seeded Carriage Club.
During the regular season, the two teams split their series, with the road team
winning each time.
The Jr. ‘Runners wasted no time in setting the tempo as Nolan
Omitt (#15) scored the first goal of the game for the second straight game, just
one minute into the contest assisted by Alex Ellison (#87). Ellison, the team’s
leading scorer, was held without a goal in the first game finally tickled the twine
with his first goal of the tourney at 6:15 of the first period. Braedon Breckenridge
(#19) added to his tourney assist total on Ellison’s goal. Ellison would add another
goal three minutes later with assists from Spencer Taylor (#4) and Ana Anthony (#26).
CC would finally get on the scoreboard in the second period. It was the only goal
of the period and the Jr. ‘Runners took a 3-1 lead into the final period. In the
third period, Carriage Club seemed to grab the momentum after scoring midway through
the final period. Carriage Club then knotted the game at 3-3 late in the period
and forced a shootout to decide the game.
In the shootout, Alex Perkins (#2) was the Jr. RoadRunners first shooter and was
unable to score. Carriage Club’s first shooter was denied before Ellison would best
the CC’s goalie. Carriage Club would then match with their next shooter. Breckridge
would be the next Topeka skater and was unable to score. Lick would then make another
great save. Omitt would be the Jr. ‘Runners fourth skater and his attempt was stopped.
The next CC shooter missed, but the referee ruled that Lick had left the crease
too soon and awarded the Carriage Club skater another attempt, which was also stopped
by Lick. Taylor, who scored his first goal of the season in the first game, would
be the Jr. RoadRunners fifth shooter. Taylor’s backhand-forehandbackhand move had
the CC’s goalie sprawled out as trucked it in stick-side to give Topeka a 2-1 advantage.
All Lick had to do was make one more save to clinch the victory and he did!
Jr. RoadRunners upset the #2 seed Carriage Club, 5-4, to earn a place
in the semifinals.
Game Three vs. KC Stars-3 (2/28)
Semifinals Sunday! After a sleepless night for many,
it was back to Line Creek for the semifinals bright and early Sunday morning. A
tired and weary team relying on adrenaline took to the ice against the KC Stars-3.
For the first time during the tournament, the Jr. ‘Runners found themselves trailing
on the scoreboard 1-0 after the first period.
Quinn Leyda (#9) would tie the game 1-1 at the 8:29 mark of the
second period as he was parked in front of the goal and stuffed a loose puck into
the back of the net. It was Leyda’s first goal of the season. Spencer Taylor (#4)
was credited with an assist.
Alex Ellison (#87) would pull the Jr. RoadRunners even at 2-2
with his third goal of the tourney. Tre’Burkett (#24) added his second assist of
the weekend.
The Jr. ‘Runners began the final period with both guns blazing as Ellison
put the biscuit in the basket for the second time to put the Jr. RoadRunners on
top 3-2. Braedon Breckridge (#19) and Nolan Omitt (#15) recorded the assists. With
time running short, Cheyanne Yette (#21) used her long reach and tapped in a rebound
to give the Jr. ‘Runners a two-goal cushion. Omitt and Taylor were both credited
with assists.
Just 17 seconds later, the Stars scored to make the final seconds of
the game very interesting. With the defense packing in around goaltender Trent Lick
(#30), the Jr. RoadRunners were able to fend off the Stars’ charge and claim a 4-3
victory and a place in the Championship Game against the top-seeded St. Joseph Griffons.
Championship Game vs. St. Joseph (2/28)
The incredible ride continues! Spirits were high as the Jr. Runners skated
onto the ice for the championship game against the top-seeded team from St. Joe.
The Griffons finished the regular season as the league’s top team. But, in the two
pervious meetings, both games were decided by just one goal.
The Jr. ‘Runners once again jumped on the scoreboard first as Alex
Perkins (#2) netted his first goal of the tournament at 2:30 of the first period
and Spencer Taylor (#4) added another assist to his stats. Alex Ellison (#87) extended
the Jr. RoadRunners lead to 2-0 less than two minutes later with Quinn Leyda (#9)
was the lone assist. The period ended with Topeka leading 2-0.
The Jr. ‘Runners started the second period where they left off as Perkins
buried his second goal of the game at the 2:35 mark with Taylor assisting. They
weren’t done either. Less than a minute later, Nolan Omitt (#15) blistered the puck
past the St. Joe goalie as the Jr. RoadRunners took a dominating 4-0 lead. The goal
parade continued, unfortunately, it was St. Joseph scoring the goals. The Griffons
scored three goals in a four-minute span to pull within one as the period ended.
The final period looked to be the most intense period of the entire
season for both teams.
At 3:21, Braedon Breckenridge (#19) collected a rebound shot from Taylor
and put it past the Griffons’ goaltender to pad the Jr.’Runners lead to 5-3. 40
seconds later, St. Joseph made it a one-goal game again. Both teams battled end
to end through the middle part of the period until Ellison picked up a loose puck
in the neutral zone and skated down with Griffons chasing and rocketed a shot into
the top corner of the net giving the Jr. RoadRunners a 6- 4 lead. For the final
90 seconds of the game, St. Joe pulled their goalie in favor of another skater and
the Jr. ‘Runners were able to hold off the powerful Griffons and claim the championship
by the score of 6-4!
As the final buzzer sounded, tears filled the eyes of the coaches,
players, family and friends as the city of Topeka and the Jr. RoadRunners program
celebrated it’s first-ever youth hockey championship! The Squirts finish their incredible
first season
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