Town Skaters Lead Colonials To Thanksgiving Tourney Win

The Western Connecticut Jr. Colonials Pee Wee A hockey team, based out of the Danbury Ice Arena, captured first place in the Charles Huntington Thanksgiving Hockey Tournament November 28-30 at the Drady Ice Rink in New Milford.

The Jr. Colonials, led by seven Newtown Middle School players, went 3-1 in the tourney and won the championship on November 30 with a 5-2 win over the Northwest Connecticut Icehawks.

The Jr. Colonials had defeated the Icehawks in the first game of the tourney by a score of 4-2 and dropped the second game to the Wallingford Hawks 5-4. A tired Jr. Colonials team, playing its third game in two days, then advanced to the championship game with a gutsy 4-2 win over the Stamford Sharks.

Newtown resident Pete McLean is the head coach and all seven Newtown Middle School skaters made key contributions to the championship effort. Goaltender Patrick McLoughlin backstopped the Jr. Colonials in all four games and sported a stingy goals-against average of 2.75. Newtown skaters also potted 9 of the 17 goals that the Jr. Colonials scored in the tournament. Forwards Heydan Savoia, Cooper McLean, Justin Corsello and Dan Harrison all lit the goal lamp, with Savoia getting three goals and an assist, McLean scoring two goals and adding an assist, Corsello notching a goal and two assists and Harrison netting a goal and an assist.

Defensemen Owen Sandercox and Brian Gregory were consistently strong throughout the tournament, throwing numerous body checks, patrolling the defensive zone and making quick transitions from defense to offense. Sandercox and Gregory also contributed offensively by consistently keeping the puck in at the blue line and launching blistering shots on the opposing goal from the point positions.

Sandercox finished the tournament with two goals and an assist. Gregory assisted on a goal in game three by blasting a slapshot from the blue line that was deflected past the Wallingford goaltender.

Overall, the Jr. Colonials outshot their opponents in the tournament 122- 82, a feat made all the more impressive by the fact that they were without one of their top offensive players. Former Newtown resident Liam Smith, who was out with an injury but attended the games to lend moral support. Liam’s father, Alex Smith, served as an assistant coach.