Nationals blow open game in the third

The 42nd annual Kilrich Building Centres Yukon Native Hockey Tournament came to an end on Sunday at the Canada Games Centre and the Takhini Arena. On Monday, we looked at the championship games from the A and B divisions, but there were still four more finals played.

Let's begin with the Old Timer championship played between the Nationals and the Tombstone Avalanche at the Takhini Arena.

The game started off slowly as both teams found their legs. Each team had its time in the offensive zone but was unable to significantly challenge the goalies.

The first period ended in a scoreless stalemate.

The Nationals were the first team to generate a quality scoring chance early in the second. Jamie Cairns, the top Old Timer scorer, was able to bang in a rebound to give his team the advantage.

The Avalanche fought hard to tie the game but Nationals goalie Brian Power, who was given the best goalie award, stood on his head, making every save look effortless.

Both teams were able to get quality shots on net but Cairns' goal stood as the lone goal in a back and forth period.

After the teams got a brief break and the ice was flooded, the game resumed, and it was Cairns again getting the Nationals on the board early.

Cairns received a pass in the slot and sent the puck into the top shelf.

Energized by the goal, the Nationals put their foot on the gas and had the Avalanche on their heels.

The Avalanche regained some momentum and kept pushing to get onto the board. With their defence pinching in, the Avalanche began giving up odd-man rushes, but their goalie, Daniel Green, kept his team in the game.

The Nationals kept attacking and on a power play, Kevin Johnstone put a shot high glove side for the insurance marker.

Continuing to pressure, the Nationals opened the flood gates. Cairns scored his third for a hat trick, and his goal was followed quickly by Ken Anderson, who banged in a rebound to the give the Nationals a 5-0 lead.

Anderson scored once again short-handed on a bad Avalanche change.

The Avalanche were able to end Power's shutout bid late in the third when Dave Ezzard deflected home a shot from the point.

The Nationals answered right back on a Peter Johnstone goal.

Up 7-1 the Nationals ran out the clock playing sound defensively to take the Old Timer championship.

Predators hold off Eagles in Jamboree final

The Energy North Predators took on the North Yukon Eagles in the Jamboree final at ATCO Arena at the Canada Games Centre on Sunday.

The other championship games featured a lot of offence, but that was not the case for the Jamboree final.

Both teams played sound defensive hockey, and when the offence was able to break through for quality scoring chances, the two goalies were able to make some acrobatic saves which sent the crowd into a frenzy.

It was the Predators who were able to get on the board first in the second period, banging in a rebound. They were able to get the insurance marker shortly after once again scoring ugly knocking in a rebound after the Eagles goalie made a flurry of saves.

The Eagles got one goal back, but it was not enough as the Predators got the goal back to take the game 3-1.

Predators coach Ray Webb said the Eagles gave the team everything they could handle.

"They gave us a good fight, they wanted it just as badly as us," said Webb. "They weren't in it last year, but they put a team in this year and the Eagles are always a competitive team. They did awesome, they had a great bunch of kids."

To get the win, Webb said, the Predators played extremely hard.

"They played awesome," said Webb. "We've been at this the last four years, and I picked up a bunch of good kids with heart and they played their souls out, man. In the end, we prevailed."

Webb said the Yukon Native Hockey Tournament is the only tournament the team will play in.

"It's the only one," said Webb. "I just grab a bunch of kids, get some practices in and from there we just go."

Kaska Warriors reign atop the C division

Across the hall in the NorthwesTel Arena at the CGC, the C division final wrapped up at the same time as at the Jamboree final.

Before the game, there was a nervousness in the air from those in the stands as they waited in anticipation for the Kaska Warriors and the Saw-Tooth Predators to take the ice.

In the opening frame, the Warriors got on the board first when, C division tournament MVP, Max Kotokak was able to find the back of the net. The Predators answered shortly after when Jason Exham got the puck over the goal line.

Before the end of the first, the Warriors were able to regain the lead on a two-on-one break. Austin Buffalo took a feed from Rob Green and made no mistake, firing it into the back of the net.

The Warriors broke the game open in the second period, scoring three unanswered goals to build a 5-1 lead.

Dale Gruben notched the first goal of the second frame. Kotokak secured the hat trick in the second scoring the team's fourth and fifth goals.

Down on the scoreboard but not out, the Predators amped up their energy pressuring the defence of the Warriors.

Tristan Murray, the division's top scorer, was able to wrist a shot home top corner early in the third to cut into the lead. Four minutes later, teammate Tyson Hope, the C division best defence award winner, sent a shot high over the goalie's glove to make it a two-goal game.

The Predators continued to press but the Warriors goalie was up for the challenge, making plenty of quality saves as the Predators found success getting into the slot.

As the game clock ticked closer to zero, the match began to get chippy. Both teams handed out their fair share of slashes and cross-checks and after the whistles, there was always a scrum.

With two minutes remaining in the game, the Warriors were able to get the insurance marker to put them up by three again.

Steve Murphy took a shot from the top of the left faceoff circle which the Predators goalie kicked out onto the stick of Green, who shovelled the puck into the back of the net.

Having just sealed the victory, Green stood by the side of the net with his hands in the air waiting for his teammates to come and celebrate with him.

The Warriors took the C division final 6-3.

Storm edge Selects 5-4 in Youth final

While the Jamboree and C division finals took place at the CGC, the Youth division final got underway at Takhini on Sunday afternoon.

The CAFN 'LiL' Storm took on the Junior Tahltan Selects in a back-and-forth game but in the end, it was the Storm who prevailed 5-4, winning the Youth championship.

The Storm was able to get on the board first midway through the opening frame thanks to Zander Underhill. One minute later, Gavin McKenna, the Youth MVP, added to the Storm lead, giving them a 2-0 lead at the end of the first.

The Selects were able to cut into the lead early in the second off the stick of Marcus Morberg. However, Ethan Candow, the division's top goal scorer, restored the two-goal lead midway through the second.

In the dying seconds of the period, Preston Pierre once again cut into the Storm's lead making it 3-2 after two periods of action.

In the third, the teams traded goals. It was McKenna who found the back of the net for his second of the game to give the Storm the lead again. Chayce Tuton answered McKenna's goal midway through the period.

At the halfway point of the deciding frame, McKenna scored once again for a hat trick. His final goal would eventually stand as the game-winner.

Jase Johnstone scored for the Selects to make it 5-4, but they were unable to get one more puck past the Storm goalie, Kerian Mooney.