January 20, 2012
Posted in Alberta Edition, Minor
By Laurence Heinen /
The Edge Mountaineers boys prep hockey team finished the World Sport School Challenge just like it started the tournament – with a loss to Team Slovakia.
The Mountaineers opened the inaugural event on Boxing Day with a 3-1 loss to Slovakia before dropping a 3-1 decision to the Pursuit of Excellence the next day as well.
Despite earning a 3-2 shootout win over the Okanagan Hockey Academy on Dec. 28, the Mountaineers still finished the preliminary round in sixth spot with a 1-2 record.
That earned the Edge squad a rematch with OHA in the quarterfinals and the host squad didn’t disappoint as goalie Kyle Baumgardner stopped all 12 shots he faced to lead the Edge to a 2-0 win.
The next day, the Mountaineers suffered a disappointing 13-2 loss to Team Finland in semifinal action. The Edge squad then had a chance to earn redemption against the Slovaks in the bronze medal game on Dec. 31, but wound up on the wrong end of a 5-2 decision.
The Edge boys prep squad then headed west to compete at the Kelowna International Major Midget Tournament from Jan. 4 to 8.
Despite compiling a 6-1 record, the Mountaineers had to settle for second spot at the prestigious event.
The Mountaineers opened the event with a 3-2 win over the Notre Dame Argos on Jan. 4 followed by a 5-1 win over the Hollyburn Huskies the next day. On Jan. 6, the Edge skated to a 3-1 win over the Wenatchee Wild and a 7-4 triumph over POE.
The Mountaineers then finished the round-robin with a perfect 5-0 record thanks to a 9-3 win over the Kelowna Fripp Warehousing Jr. Rockets.
Following the preliminary round, Edge forward Cam Amantea earned accolades as a tournament all-star and top scorer. In addition, Amantea was named as most-valuable player of the event.
In semifinal action on Jan. 7, the Mountaineers edged the Thunder Bay AAA Kings 4-3. James Robinson and Scott Salberg each had a goal and an assist in the victory, while Mitch Ferguson and Tyler Perkins also scored. Amantea chipped in with two assists.
That set up a rematch against Wenatchee for the tournament final. The Wild built up a 3-0 lead before the Edge battled back with goals by Amantea and Ferguson to cut the deficit to 4-2 after two periods.
Despite the Edge prep squad’s best efforts to narrow the gap, the Wild added an insurance marker and an empty-net goal in the final frame to take home the championship.
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