Vikings fall in semifinals at high school provincials

By Michael Gorman

THE VANGUARD

NovaNewsNow.com

The clock struck 12 for the Yarmouth Vikings.

The Yarmouth Consolidated Memorial High School boys' hockey team had a season to remember but on Saturday they came up short of their ultimate goal. The team lost to C.P. Allen 3-1 in the semifinals of the Division 1 provincial championships at Mariners Centre.

The Vikings came into the tournament on a high, having won the western regional championship, dropping only one game along the way and knocking off long-time powerhouse King's-Edgehill. The regional win was capped off with a double-overtime win against Horton.

That momentum carried into the first two-and-a-half games of provincials. Yarmouth dominated Halifax West 5-1 in their first game of the tournament. Alex Dennis scored two goals and Jason Doucette, Alyre Dennis and Matt Shea each scored singles.

In their second game, the Vikings came back from a 2-1 deficit to top Riverview 4-2. Mark Churchill, Devin Cottreau, Alex Dennis and Brandon Goudey scored for Yarmouth. The Vikings continued to look good in their final round robin game with Millwood, taking a 3-2 lead into the third period.

But Millwood cut down on their penalties in the final frame and their forwards generally out-skated Yarmouth's en route to four unanswered goals.

That put Yarmouth up against C.P. Allen, who many regarded as the top team in the tournament, in the semifinals. Yarmouth came out flying, scoring the game's first goal thanks to Alyre Dennis. But after that it was all C.P. Allen.

The Cheetahs smothered Yarmouth's offense, allowing only one shot in the second period and out-shooting Yarmouth 33-11 for the game. The Vikings tried to rally in the third but were unable to convert on several chances.



(NOTE: Lower Sackville's Millwood Knights won the NSSAF Division One High School hockey championship defeating Bedford's C.P. Allen 2-1 Sunday at Mariners Centre.)