Hawks soar to victory at annual co-ed tourney

The competitiveness might be toned down, just a little.

And the mix of talent is all over the board, bringing together houseleague players right through to AAA regulars. But in the end, youth hockey is still the same, and the Lively Hawks were happy to finally break through.

The Hawks captured the St. James Annual Co-ed Hockey Tournament April 8 at the McClelland Arena in Copper Cliff, downing the St. Anne Angles, from Hanmer, 4-1.

After Jared Hurley opened the scoring for Lively with the only goal of the first period, the teams traded middle-stanza markers, with Josh Boucher (Hawks) and Ethan Boyd (Angels) doing the honours.

That 2-1 score remained intact, thanks in part to three or four big saves by Lively netminder Jake McGuire, including a sensational stop with the paddle on a breakaway attempt by Boyd.

With just under two minutes remaining, Tyler Bell provided the Hawks with the necessary cushion, doubling the advantage before Boucher put the game on ice, hitting the empty net.

The overall level of play might mean a drop for some, but there is something unique and special about donning the school colours for their youngsters, most of whom are in Grades seven and eight.

"It's a different feel, it's fun," acknowledged McGuire, who has played across the entire spectrum in his minor hockey career to date. "I like it. There's no worries, it's just fun. And it's a great group of kids."

The first-place finish was the best performance of the spring for the Lively Hawks, competing in their third tournament in the past six weeks or so.

The bronze medals were awarded to the St. John Jaguars of Lively, also posting a 4-1 win, this time over the Félix-Ricard Jaguars. Chris Benoit scored twice to lead the way for the winners, with Justin Hallett and Braedan Gobbo adding solo tallies, and Kaleb Muzzi countering in a losing cause.

It was the second podium appearance of the season for the St. John's students, with the Jaguars walking away with the championship banner at the Nesbitt Tournament last month in Capreol.