Magical run at PHL title ends in finals for 16U
February 20, 2012 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Texas Tornado News Release
Most NAHL fans know that this week is the league's Top Prospects Tournnament, a time for the league's top players to converge in York, Mich. for a three-day tournament and exposure to scouts at the college and pro level. Over the weekend, though, the PHL Championship Series was also held at the Troy Sports Center. All three PHL divisions held round robin play on Friday and Saturday, while the semifinals took place on Sunday. When all was said and done yesterday, the 16U Texas Tornado were still alive, even though they played to just an 8-3-4 record in the regular season, good for 8th in the 16U divison. But the dream run came to an end earlier today when, in the 16U championship game, they fell to the Indiana Jr. Ice by a score of 3-0.
Texas got off to a hot start on Friday with a 6-4 victory over the San Jose Jr. Sharks, who came into the playoffs with the best record in the 16U division. Jack Trischett netted a natural hat trick-with all three goals coming in the first period-to pace the Tornado, who also got goals from Kade Brannon, Nathaniel Bollman, and Connor Bebb.
Later that day, the Tornado dropped their first game of the tournament, with a dramatic 4-3 loss to the New Jersey Jr. Titans. Both teams scored twice first period, with Austin Cox and Mason Weis each picking up goals to make it a 2-2 game. The second period was scoreless, and with less than a minute to play in regulation, the score still remained tied 2-2. Weis picked up another goal late to give the Tornado a 3-2 lead, but the Titans capitalized on two loose pucks in the Tornado crease in the final minute, and were able to not just tie the game, but win it in regulation.
Texas rebounded on Saturday in another close contest, knocking off Orange County 16U, 1-0 in a shootout. With the teams scoreless after regulation, the game went directly to the shootout, where the score remained tied after five rounds. Both shooters were stopped in the sixth round, so Drew Winsauer was tabbed as the Tornado's next player off the bench. He scored, while Orange County's Tyse Teague was stopped by Jay Harrington, and the Tornado came away with the win. The victory proved to be an important one. Both Texas and Orange County finished round-robin play with the same amount of points, but only one could advance to the semi-finals. Because the Tornado had a better head-to-head record than Orange County, Texas earned the right to play the Omaha AAA Lancers in the PHL semi-finals.
The Lancers were heavily-favored in the semi-final, playing to a 14-3-1 record in the regular season and opened the scoring in the first period, but a late goal by Kade Brannon tied the score at 1 heading into the first intermission. The Lancers responded with two more goals to open up the second, but once again, the Tornado played catch-up. Connor Bebb scored to make it a one-goal game at 12:38, followed by an Austin Cox marker just over two minutes later to tie the score. Neither team picked up a goal in the third, and the Tornado found themselves in a shootout for the second straight day. Harrington stopped all Lancers shooters, while Ryan Poole earned the shootout winner as the Tornado advanced to the PHL Championship to face the Indiana Jr. Ice.
But today, Texas could not replicate the magic that propelled the team into the championship game, falling to the Jr. Ice, 3-0. The Tornado kept it close for the majority of the game, and after two periods neither team had put a goal on the board. Indiana scored four minutes into the third period, however, and added a short-handed goal five minutes later to take a 2-0 lead. With time coming to a close, the Jr. Ice tacked on an empty-net goal for the 3-0 final.
The season is not yet over for the 16U's, who earned the right to play in the 2012 USA Hockey 16 & Under Tier II National Championships thanks to a victory in the TAHA State Tournament earlier this month. Nationals will be held in Green Bay, Wisc. from March 28-April 1, and the 16U's will be looking to make a deep run for the second straight year. Last season, they advanced all the way to the National Championship game before losing to Summit Plastics, 2-1.
North American Hockey League Stories from February 20, 2012
- Stolarz Stops 18 of 20; NAHL U18 Selects Win 4-3 - Corpus Christi IceRays
- Magical run at PHL title ends in finals for 16U - Texas Tornado
- Walker, D'Arrisso Pick up Points in 7-4 South Division Loss - Corpus Christi IceRays
- Wichita Falls Wildcats' Insider - Wichita Falls Wildcats
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