Team Kauai’s 10U team took their fourth straight state crown led by Coach Todd Mayer at the USA Hockey Inline Regional Championships held on O‘ahu last month in Hawai‘i Kai. Their only blemish was a 4-4 tie with the Oahu
Team Kauai’s 10U team took their fourth straight state crown led by Coach Todd Mayer at the USA Hockey Inline Regional Championships held on O‘ahu last month in Hawai‘i Kai. Their only blemish was a 4-4 tie with the Oahu Dominators in pool play. Team Kauai defeated New Hope 7-2, Maui 10-1, and Mililani 8-0 in their other pool games to advance to the finals as the number one seed.
In the finals, they controlled the game from the start beating the Oahu Dominators by a 7-2 score. Jean-Luc Tremblay tallied 9 goals and five assists and Kawai Peahu scored 10 goals and two assists. Daniel Alonzo performed well in goal.
Now members of the team are practicing away, as many of the champion 10U team members will be spearheading the Hawaii State Wars 96 team in the national tournament at the Edge Arena in Bensenville, Ill. next month.
Approximately 252 state teams will compete in the 12-day tournament starting Aug. 1. There are more than 750 hockey games scheduled for the annual tournament.
Three other Kaua‘i teams also competed at regionals for a chance to go to nationals, but didn’t fare so well.
Team Kauai 8U featured a young team comprised of mostly 5 to 7 year olds, but came away with one win and two losses. Eli Leech-Kritchman led the way with 8 goals and one assist and Chanel Tremblay contributed 2 goals and four assists.
Team Kauai 12U also featured a young team made up primarily of the champion 10U team members. Still, they finished with two wins and two losses. Trevor McCracken scored 4 goals and three assists while Corey Nemeth contributed four assists.
Team Kauai 14U finished with one win and two losses, including the top contest of the tournament, a double overtime sudden death loss to Maui 3-2. Kirsten McCracken tied the game in regulation with a wrist shot with 47 seconds remaining.
The game featured the outstanding play of Zeb Leech-Kritchman and McCracken along with goalie Soane Latuniupulu. Team Kauai had several good chances to score in either overtime period, but were turned away by the Maui goalie.
For more information on the inline hockey league or to view this year’s master schedule for the national tournament, go to www.statewarshockey.com.
