The Ochapowace Thunder celebrate after winning. Photo courtesy of Dean Bear.
The Ochapowace Thunder are this year’s PAGC Senator’s Cup champions, but they had to take the long road to win the title.
The Thunder had to win two games on Sunday just to make it to the championship game, where they beat the Stanley Mission River Hawks 4-2.
Ochapowace was led by former Lethbridge Hurricanes standout Colton Yellow Horn, who had two goals and an assist in the final. Yellow Horn scored two goals in the first period, but neither team held an edge in play.
Early in the second, Stanley Mission cut the lead in half when Chris Kinch’s seeing-eye shot from the point on the power play found its way through a maze of players.
In the third, Ochapowace pulled ahead for good with a pair of goals five minutes apart by tournament MVP Wacey Rabbit and Robin Big Snake.
Todd Fiddler of the River Hawks scored from the high slot to make it 4-2 with six minutes left, but that was as close as Stanley Mission would get. The River Hawks pulled their goalie in the last minute and a half and threw everything they could at Thunder goalie Alfie Michaud, but he turned away the barrage to cement the win for Ochapowace.
Photo courtesy of Chelsea Laskowski.
Tournament MVP Wacey Rabbit said having to play four games over the last two days wasn’t easy.
“We were playing two and a half lines and I would come off, have 10 seconds rest and be right back out there again,” he said.
He said in the last period, the entire team was drained and they felt like they were skating in quicksand.
“In that situation, you try not to look at the clock, you just try do what you an for each other to try and get the win,” he said.
Rabbit said his team didn’t do themselves any favours by losing their opening game and having to come through the B-side to get to the final.
“We had a tough game Saturday and right into today. It was money Sunday, and all the top teams were still here. But, you look through the board of teams and anyone could have won this,” he said.
He also said the level of hockey in the tournament was pretty good.
“There wasn’t a bad team, sometimes you go to tournaments and sometimes there are a couple of weaker teams, but when you have guys like DJ King (who played in the NHL with the St. Louis Blues) and Todd Fiddler, who played in the CIS, the level of Indian hockey is getting better. It was an honour to be in this tournament,” he added.
Teammates Yellow Horn and Michaud also picked up some hardware. Yellow Horn was named the tournament’s leading scorer, while Michaud was named the top goaltender.
Todd Fiddler of Stanley Mission was the top forward, while the River Hawk’s Chris Kinch was the top defenceman.
The St Louis Blues came in third, while last year’s champions, the Red Pheasant Rebels, were fourth.
Along with winning the Senator’s Cup, the Thunder take home $20,000 for first place.