SPHL Mississippi RiverKings

Jr. StreetKings Battle for Crown in Championship Game

Published on August 14, 2003 under SPHL (SPHL)
Mississippi RiverKings News Release


SOUTHAVEN, Miss.—The Jr. StreetKings youth hockey league battled it out in their championship run Thursday night McNeely Style and Barbershop team and team Kroger played an elimination round at 6 p.m. at the Hernando Civic Center with the winner, team McNeely, going head-to-head with number one team Pulaski Mortgage at 7 p.m. For more information, call the RiverKings office at 662-342-1755.

Memphis RiverKings Head Coach Jim Wiley stopped by to watch, while forward Jay Neal, who re-signed his contract with the ‘Kings Thursday, served as head referee. RiverKings mascots Sheldon and RiverThing came as well to entertain the crowd.

In the elimination round, McNeely took the advantage early in the game, with Chance Morreale sliding a goal in at the 25 second mark, assisted by Austin Duykers. Kroger answered with vengeance, taking the next three goals. Baker Spenser slammed one in at 4:45, assisted by number Bradley Monroe. Tony Garner put a nice one in the slot, unassisted, at 7 minutes while Monroe racked up another a minute and a half later. Kroger goalie Erich Hammers worked hard keeping out the shots to complement the Kroger offense. However, McNeely took the reigns just before the second period with Billy Thomason making a goal at 14:40.

The second period was a heated battle with no one scoring a goal for seven minutes, and McNeely's goalie Jared Fiorito turning aside shot after shot. Duykers broke the dead heat with an unassisted goal. At 10 minutes, Cody Simpson scored, assisted by Thomason. Simpson scored again at 11 minutes, assisted by Spenser Hudson, and again at 11:15 without an assist to finish the elimination round, McNeely's six, Kroger three.

The championship round was played in three periods. In the first period, McNeely's once again took the advantage with a goal at the 40 second mark by Austin Duykers assisted by Hudson. Pulaski answered quickly, though, with a goal by Tony Cobb one minute later, assisted by Brandon Yasses. McNeely's Morreale scored again at 5:25 unassisted. Pulaski finished up the period in first, with Cobb scoring goals at 6:30 and 7:10, both unassisted.

In the second period, McNeely's fought for the first—and their only—goal of the period. Spenser Hudson whipped one in at 4:30, assisted by Morreale. After two games, the McNeely team began to run out of steam. Pulaski pummeled them with two more goals by Cobb, assisted by James Elledge at 6:20 and Yasses at 10:30. Pulaski's Nick Bowen picked up the next goal, assisted by Yasses, who took his turn at scoring at 11:25, assisted by Bowen and teammate Caitlyn Patrick.

In the third period, McNeely made one last great effort, with a goal at 6:45 by Simpson, assisted by Hudson and Thomason, and another goal at 9:45 by Morreale. Pulaski kept up a strong defense, however, and managed one more goal at 11:37 by Cobb, unassisted. Pulaski finished on top with eight and McNeely with a valiant five goals.

After the game, the Pulaski team carried on the Memphis RiverKings tradition of dogpiling on top of the goalie, Clyde Wiggins.

"We're happy for the kids," Pulaski Coach Wayne Perkins said. "I enjoy being with the kids and seeing them progress and get better in their skills. Several of these kids have been with me three or four seasons, and I can really see a difference."

Keith Gish, who coached the McNeely's 10 and up team and the nine and under Nichol's Ford team, said the loss was tough, but he would do it all over again.

"It was fun to coach," Gish said. "I had a great time with the kids. They all played their best. And we're going to get them next year."

League sponsors include Sports of All Sorts, Hernando Animal Clinic, Nichols Ford, Gossett Body Works, Maddox Foundation and Innovative Solutions computer company. Other sponsors include the RiverKings, O'Charley's, Chili's, architect O. Marvin Johnson, DeSoto Athletic Club, Olive Branch Curb and Gutter, James Riley, Marlowe's, Bob-Bo's, Boomers, CiCi's Pizza, McNeely's Style and Barbershop, and The DeSoto Times Today.

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