Chargers win Lively tourney, now eye February playoffs

The Confederation Chargers are again hoping to springboard from the Lively Invitational Hockey Tournament to a healthy playoff performance.

Last November, the Chargers upended the Lasalle Lancers in the final of the Lively Tournament. Unfortunately, come playoff time in February, the Confederation crew couldn't overcome their nemesis, the St. Charles College Cardinals, and were eliminated in semi-final action.

Though the Chargers may have earned a small measure of revenge by virtue of their 6-4 victory over the Cards in the tournament finale Sunday in Walden, the team is undoubtedly eyeing post-Christmas success as the true test for the 2015-16 season.

Confederation jumped out to a 3-1 first period lead facing St. Charles, then traded goals in both the second and third stanza en route to their win.

Game MVP Andrew McKinnon scored twice for the winners, with Scott Villeneuve, Brody Bertrand, Preston St. Pierre and Kyle Preseau adding one goal apiece.

Gregory Trudeau-Paquet countered with a two-goal effort for St. Charles, with Tayler Bedard and Ethan Lamarche rounding things off.

Confederation advanced to the championship affair by virtue of a 4-1 win over the Manitoulin Mustangs, while the Cardinals stopped the defending city champion Collège Notre-Dame Alouettes 5-4 in overtime, with Trudeau-Paquet pulling the trigger.

League play resumes Nov. 17 at 3 p.m. at the Gerry McCrory Countryside Sports Complex, with the St. Benedict Bears (1-0-0) playing host to the Mustangs (2-0-1).

Wednesday night also produces an interesting matchup as St. Charles and Lockerby go toe-to-toe in Walden, with the puck drop slated for 8:30 p.m.