Two local PeeWee Rep hockey players, Keaton Mastrodonato and Ethan Schmunk, recently returned home from the North American AAA Hockey Classic held in Winnipeg, Manitoba, as 2013 champions.
The two teens, both assistant captains, play spring hockey for the AAA Vancouver Island Monarchs under the direction of head coach and manager Brian Passmore. The boys departed from Victoria to Winnipeg mid-June. They saw a lot of ice and played five full games over the span of three days.
In round robin play they faced off against Minnesota’s best, the Icemen. They battled an aggressive opener but defeated the Icemen 7-4 for the win.
In game two the Monarchs conquered Manitoba Falcons, easily defeating them 11-2.
In the final round robin game, they faced Manitoba Icedogs and cruised to an 8-2 victory. This left Monarchs first in their pool after round robin play.
In semifinal action, Monarchs faced Ontario’s Select 2000 team, the Thunderbay Thunder. This game was a battle. Both teams poured on aggressive BC-style play with big hits and finesse. They sat tied at one goal each after one period of play and after two it was 2-1 in Monarchs’ favour. Finally, in the third period, Monarchs capitalized and notched two quick goals on a power play. They were able to fend off the Ontario boys to win the game and prepare for the finals.
In the finals Monarchs played the Mansask Wolfpack which is a select team comprised of the best boys, born in the year 2000, from Manitoba and Saskatchewan in AAA hockey. The Monarchs could do no wrong from puck drop right through until the end of the third. The final game was played at the National Hockey League Winnipeg Jets’ training facility which was a highlight for the team.
They managed to stay out of the box yet their counterparts couldn’t. The Wolfpack struggled with Monarchs’ speed and became undisciplined, hence they spent a lot of time in the penalty box. The Monarchs’ power play units were on fire. Both units managed to score on all five power plays giving the team a comfortable lead. The boys battled hard for three periods and conquered the ManSask Selects team 7-1 and were awarded the 2013 Championship honour for year 2000. The boys each received medals, the championship trophy and championship jerseys.
This was the final tournament for the team from the island. The boys experienced more than hockey taking in the Manitoba landmarks and very different scenery than what BC offers. They met a lot of new people and played a little hockey at a high calibre. They also calculated that they travelled over 6,000 miles. They played a variety of provinces and even a team from the USA before they captured the title. It was an experience that will be etched in their minds for a long time.
