Newtown Pee Wees Win Watertown Thanksgiving Hockey Tourney

The Pee Wee B-team of the Western Connecticut Youth Hockey League, with a hefty contingent of Newtown players and assistant coach/Newtown resident Mike Sanchez, took home the first-place trophy at the Watertown Thanksgiving Tournament at Taft School.

Newtown skaters who helped the team to the title are Nate Sanchez, Riley Burns, Sam Cox, Nick Chaloux, and Matt Pelisson. The boys won all four of their games in the tourney, starting with a 5-1 victory over the host team on Friday morning. On Saturday night the Western Pee Wee team held off a challenge from rival Northwestern, winning 3-1, thanks to strong defense by Reed Intermediate School 6th grader Nate Sanchez.

On Sunday, the Pee Wees blanked Central Connecticut 3-0, as goaltender Nick Chaloux, a Newtown 7th grader, earned a well-deserved shutout and the team advanced to the championship. The Pee Wees clinched the final match with a 3-1 win in a rematch with Northwestern. Middle School 7th grader and defenseman Sam Cox put the first puck in the net. Reed 5th grader Riley Burns and St. Rose 7th grader Matt Pelisson also provided aggressive offense in the triumph.

With the team’s second tournament win of the year, the skaters carried a stellar record of 17-5-1 into the second half of the season.