Whitehorse’s house league team Envirolube looked well on their way to capturing a medal with a goal 17 seconds into the bronze game on their first shot on net.
It was not to be.
Despite the very early lead, Envirolube lost 3-2 in a shootout to Fort Nelson in the third-place game at the Yukon Bantam Hockey Championships on Sunday at Takhini Arena.
“The kids are upset, but ... if you don’t take care of business before the end of the game it’s a crapshoot and I think they recognize that,” said Envirolube head coach Nils Clarke. “They’re upset, but our goalie Brodon Cull kept them in the whole tournament ... He did amazingly well.”
Envirolube’s Angus Clarke scored in the opening seconds on his team’s first foray into the Nelson end.
Fort Nelson took the lead on a pair of power play goals from Frenette Cayden late in the first and second period. The first was a hard, high slapper from the blue line.
“We don’t see those shots generally in house league - those booming shots,” said Nils. “So they had to adjust. The wingers had to close the distance and try to block those shots, which I think is pretty intimidating. It was sometimes successful and sometimes not successful.”
Envirolube’s Adam Hennings set the game to overtime with a goal midway through the third, ripping down the right wing and sending a long shot into the back of the net.
After a scoreless overtime, Fort Nelson’s Sonny Capot-Blanc scored in a shootout while his goalie, David Wilmsmeier, stopped all three Envirolube shooters. Wilmsmeier was named his team’s Player of the Game.
“If you told me he was going to win us the game at the start of the tournament I would have kind of smiled,” said Fort Nelson head coach J.J. Frenette. “But he really came through for us in the end.”
Envirolube captain and defenceman Derek Hennings was named his team’s Player of the Game.
“He’s a solid rock anchor defenceman and he’s a great leader,” said Nils.
Envirolube was one of three Whitehorse house league teams in the 10-team tournament, which included squads from Tok, Alaska, Dawson City, Watson Lake and Juneau, who captured the gold with an overtime win over the Whitehorse Peewee Mustangs.
“We had a good weekend here in Whitehorse,” said J.J. “There’s a lot of neat stuff to see here and I think we’ll definitely be back.”
Contact Tom Patrick at
tomp@yukon-news.com