It simply wasn’t meant to be.

The Yukon Bantam Mustangs attempt at a repeat championship at the British Columbia provincials fell just short with a heartbreaking 3-2 loss in overtime to Vanderhoof yesterday.

Oscar Burgess and Bryce Anderson scored to give the Mustangs an early 2-0 lead, but a relentless Vanderhoof Bears squad managed to tie it up before putting the winner over peewee-aged goalie Dawson Smith during a scramble in overtime.

The Mustangs were seeking their second straight Tier 3 bantam title, after winning it for the first time in Yukon history last season.

The team will not come home empty handed however, after picking up the tournament fair play award, accepted by captain Josh Austin.

“I’m really proud of the guys for making it that far and working that hard,” Anderson said from Smithers, today. “It was unfortunate that with two minutes left in overtime, we couldn’t pull through. You win some, you lose some.”

Anderson, a member of the Mustangs minor midget team, joined the bantam squad for the provincial tournament, as did Burgess, Kyron Crosby and Brett Walchuk.

He centred the top line between Burgess and Austin.

Yesterday was his 15th birthday.

The bantam squad dropped their first match 4-3 to Arbutus Club on Sunday, despite a three-point effort from Anderson.

On Monday, they picked up their first win, 4-3 over Vanderhoof, with Anderson netting the game-winner to cap another three-point game.

Tuesday saw Whitehorse edge South Okanagan 6-5 thanks to another game-winner from Anderson, who had four points in the game. Defenceman Walchuk added three points in the win.

Yesterday morning, Whitehorse crushed the host Smithers squad 7-4 in the semifinal thanks to a hat trick from Burgess and a game-winning goal from Isaac Williamson.

Vanderhoof beat North Shore Winter Club 6-2 in the other semifinal.

Elsewhere, the Yukon Midget Mustangs missed out on a playoff berth at the Tier 3 championship on the Sunshine Coast.

The team finished with a 2-2 record, beating Trail 2-0 and Coquitlam 6-3. The team’s losses, meanwhile, were at the hands of Alberni Valley 5-2, and Whistler 6-3.

Additionally, the Yukon Peewee Mustangs are still in the hunt for the Tier 3 title in West Vancouver, and will face Dawson Creek in the semifinals this afternoon.

The Whitehorse team wrapped up round-robin play with the top record of 4-0 after beating Vancouver 6-4, Kitimat 10-0, Sooke 8-2 and Trail 7-3.

Finals will be held tomorrow.