CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — The season keeps getting better for the Central Attack.
The bantam AAA squad added a provincial championship Wednesday to a year that has already included Monctonian and Spud tournament victories.
The Attack scored four third period goals to defeat the Eastern Express 6-3 at Simmons Sport Centre to sweep the best-of-three final.
“I have never actually won a provincial championship, and now it feels great to win it,” said Keegan Callaghan, who scored twice, including the game-winning goal Wednesday.
“I wasn’t even going to try out for this team until I got asked and I am glad I played on this team. It’s a great team, great coaching, great teammates. It’s awesome.”
The game was tied 2-2 after the first and second periods.
Jamie Collins scored 48 seconds into the third period to get the Attack going in the final frame.
“In the third period, the foot went on the gas,” head coach Jeff Squires said.
He provided a simple – but effective – message during the second intermission.
“This is Simmons and it’s our home rink in Charlottetown where all these kids grew up practising (with) a lot of early mornings,” he explained.
“So, the message was very simple: think of how special it is to win a provincial title in your home building, where you have spent so many hours practising to be hockey players.”
Brett Arsenault, Colby Huggan and Bates Ling also scored for the Attack. Collins and Huggan each had two assists while singles went to Callaghan, Ling, Isaac Vos and Cam Squires.
“Keegan Callaghan is a great story here today. I think it shows how different players fill in different roles,” the head coach said. “Most importantly, Keegan Callaghan has a tremendous attitude. He’s the ultimate team guy.”
Nolan Stewart scored twice for the Express while Avery Brown scored in the third period. Harry Clements and Holden Bradley had assists.
Shannon MacDonald stopped 27 shots to earn the win while Ethan Smith was peppered with 46 shots in the loss.
Central was 1-for-3 on the power play while killing both of Eastern’s chances with man advantage.
Central finished first in the regular season in the four-team bantam league with a 28-2-0 record, swept Mid-Isle in the first round before meeting Eastern, who swept Prince County in the semifinal, in the championship series.
“We have a very committed group of players, a very committed group of parents and (I have) a lot of respect for the dedication and the commitment they put in to getting better since we put this team together in September,” Squires said.
The Attack will represent the province at the Atlantic championship in St. Margaret’s Bay, N.S., from April 4-7. The host Gulls won the Nova Scotia championship over Halifax but both teams will attend the Atlantics. The provincial champs from New Brunswick, as well as Newfoundland and Labrador, will be determined this weekend.
Central celebrated the win Wednesday, but it was a business-like approach as if they had unfinished business as Tina Turner’s “Simply The Best” and Queen’s “We Are The Champions” played through the rink’s sound system.
“Oh no, we’re not satisfied yet,” captain Kal White said. “The Atlantics, since the team was picked, was our goal.”
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