Mount Pearl, NL – Gold Medal Game (Recap):  The championship game featured from New Brunswick the Moncton Irving Oil Hawks and from Nova Scotia the Bubba Rays Irving Oil Gulls.  The Hawks finished the round robin with a 2W-2L record and booked their ticket to the final by beating St. John’s Irving Oil Ice Breakers in their final round robin game by a score of 2-1.  The Gulls finished undefeated in the round robin portion going a perfect 4W-0L.

 The Irving Oil Gulls would open the scoring in the Gold Medal game, 7 minutes into the first, when forward Nick Fewer beat Moncton goaltender Zachary Robichaud.  The Gulls would take a 1-0 lead into the first intermission.   The Moncton Irving Oil Hawks started off the second period with a power play goal by forward Damien Robichaud, the power play marker would come 1:15 into the second, putting the biscuit past Gulls tournament top goaltender Kirklin Allen.

 Late in the second period Moncton would capitalize yet again on the power play, this time it was a blast from the point, defencemen Tristan Mercure gave the Hawks their first lead of the game.   Teams would enter the second intermission separated by one goal but this time Moncton held the edge heading into the final frame.

 Bubba Rays Irving Oil Gulls would go on a 5 on 3 power play early in the third and team captain/tournament MVP Shane Bowers would bang home the rebound to even the game at two goals a piece.  With 9 minutes to go in the third period, Bowers was awarded a penalty shot but was shutdown by goaltender Robichaud to keep the game tied.

 Not far after when play resumed, the Gulls went down on an odd man rush and Fewer made a great pass to Connor Kirby who buried it to give the Gulls the lead with just over 8 minutes to play.  This goal proved to be the game winner, as the Hawks pressed the Gulls who shut them down heading into the final minutes of play.  The final buzzer sounded and the Bubba Rays Irving Oil Gulls are the 2014 Irving Oil Challenge Cup Champions. 

 Player of the Game for Moncton Irving Oil Hawks: Ethan Crossman

Player of the Game for Bubba Rays Irving Oil Gulls: Shane Bowers

 

Bronze Medal Game (Recap):  

The Bronze Medal Game featured the two teams from Newfoundland and Labrador.  The Host Tri Com Irving Oil Thunder vs. St. John’s Irving Oil Ice Breakers.  These teams have seen plenty of each other throughout the season and the stage was set for a terrific Bronze medal showdown.

Nick Gosse opened the scoring for the Tri Com Irving Oil Thunder when he beat St. John’s goaltender Zachary Gauvreau, Tri Com would enter the first intermission up by one.  With 8:22 remaining in the second, St. John’s forward Matt McKim scored on his own rebound beating Tri Com goaltender Zachary Rose.   The Thunder came right back scoring a minute later to regain their one goal lead, Brandon Lucas was credited with that marker and again Tri Com would take the lead heading into the second intermission.

 Tri Com continued where they left off, scoring four minutes into the third period to pad their lead 3-1.  Not to be out done St. John’s responded right back with a goal by forward Cody Langmead.  St. John’s still down 3-2 late in the third period, gets a huge power play goal by forward Joel Bishop to even the score with 1:30 left to play in regulation.  

The two teams would need overtime to find a winner in what was a close knit battle, with 4 minutes left to play in the Overtime period, Ice Breakers Captain Ian Smallwood buried a shot and the St. John’s Irving Oil Ice Breakers win the Irving Oil Challenge Cup Bronze Medal.

 Player of the Game for St. John’s Irving Oil Ice Breakers: Joel Bishop

Player of the Game for Tri Com Irving Oil Thunder: Jake Upshall

 

The following teams competed in the 2014 Irving Oil Challenge Cup:

 Host: Tri Com Irving Oil Thunder

HNB: Moncton Irving Oil Hawks

HNS: Bubba Rays Irving Oil Gulls

HPEI: Charlottetown Irving Oil Abbies

HNL: St. John’s Irving Oil Ice Breakers

 

Official Tournament Website: www.irvingoilcup.com

Follow Irving Oil Challenge Cup on Twitter: @IrvingOilCup

Follow Hockey NL on Twitter: @Hkynl