A team name-change didn’t effect the rivalry between the two finalists, meeting in the championship game for a fourth consecutive year, at the Bob Park Ice Breaker Broomball Tournament at Takhini Arena on Sunday.
The Na-Cho Nyak Dun Development Corporation – formally Coyne – defended their title from last year with a 2-1 win over the Roadhouse Bar & Grill in the final. The NNDDC Dream Team, as they will be called in the regular league, went undefeated in the season opening tournament.
“It was a lot cleaner than I thought it was going to be,” said NNDDC assistant captain Amber Saunders of the finals. “It was quite good. The Roadhouse did amazing considering they just played three games in a row – this being the third.
“It was a good game; I quite enjoyed it.”
“It was fast, but that was our third game in a row today – we were dying,” said Roadhouse forward Laura Whitty. “But it was a good run-around.
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“There’s maybe an extra push or two in the finals, but it’s good – it’s just rivalry.”
Whitty gave her team a 1-0 lead seven minutes into the final, knocking in a pass from teammate Dave Locke. However, NNDDC forward Matt Dixon went upstairs with a rebound to tie the game four minutes later.
Dixon then scored with 26 seconds left in regulation to get the win, assisted by Saunders.
“What gave us our edge was our determination – we don’t like to lose,” said Saunders. “The rivalry gives a bit of a push.”
Adding insult to injury was the fact Dixon was recruited from the Roadhouse squad by NNDDC’s Justin Saunders during the off-season.
“He and Justin went to elementary and high school together, so they’ve known each other for a long time,” said Saunders. “So he came to play for us this year.”
The two teams also met early Sunday morning with NNDDC winning 2-1 in overtime on a goal from Justin Saunders, pushing the Roadhouse into the bottom of the draw where they faced Capital Towing in the other semifinal. (The tournament operated in a double-elimination format.)
There, the Roadhouse blanked Capital Towing 3-0 with goals from Jeff Seaman, Jeremy Raymond and Locke, with goalie Chris Ziegler getting the shutout. The loss put Capital in third for the second year in a row.
Getting the win in net for NNDDC in the final was goalie Tim MacIntosh, “The best goalie in the league,” said Saunders.
“Everyone played well, for the end of a long weekend of broomball,” she added. “With some stiff legs and tired bodies, everyone came through and did a good job.”
The Yukon Broomball Association’s regular season kicks off this Sunday at the Takhini Broomball Arena with games between Capital Towing and the Ridge Pub, Ford Mustangs versus the Roadhouse and P&M Recycling versus the Spectrum Security Bears.
Contact Tom Patrick at tomp@yukon-news.com