The Yale Secondary hockey academy’s under-16 boys team defied expectations en route to the championship at the Richmond International Midget Tournament last week.
Facing older U18 teams, the Yale squad battled their way to the final, where they blew out the North Island Silvertips, a B.C. Major Midget League team, 8-1.
“The Vegas odds would have had them as four-goal favourites,” enthused Billy Wilms, program co-ordinator for the Yale academy. “It was one of those ‘Miracle on Ice’ sort of deals.”
Yale captain Kohen Olischefski, a prospect of the BCHL’s Chilliwack Chiefs, was named tournament MVP. Other standouts included Carter Shannon, who led the tourney in goals with seven, and Dryden Michaud, who had two goals and two assists in the final.