The season wrapped up under a blazing Saturday sun.
Bernadette Stephen-McRae clapped her hands, announcing, “We’ve got some half-time entertainmentâ€
A youth proceeded to waddle out onto the rink dressed in a makeshift penguin costume, to the cheers of parents and other family members during the first intermission of the Division I consolation game between the Coyotes and the Penguins.
It may not have been as elaborate an outfit as, say, the Mariner Moose or Squatch, but a half-time show is a sign of how much the Bainbridge Roller Hockey League has grown as it finished up its eighth season on a hot, cloudless Saturday at Battle Point Park.
In the Division III championship game, the Canucks went from worst to first, upsetting the number one seeded Rangers on Friday night and then outlasting the number three seeded Bruins 9-5 to win the title.
The Canucks raced out to a 4-0 lead in the first period behind goals from Matt Croxford, Andrew Strathdee, Kris Kushniruk and Bjorn Ostenson.
Matthew Perry scored on an assist from Daniel Perry near the end of the first period to finally get the Bruins on the board.
In the second period Kushniruk and Matthew Perry scored two goals apiece for their respective teams.
The Bruins pulled to within two in the third period, but they couldn’t overcome the heat, the strong play of goalie Sean Parker and Kushniruk, who scored two more times late in the period.
The Division II consolation game saw the Kings and the Rangers shoot the lights out in an exciting matchup. The Kings came out firing, taking a 6-1 lead into the first intermission as John Windust scored a hat trick and an assist, while Ian Fullerton scored twice and had an assist.
Both teams went all out in the second period as 10 goals were scored. The Rangers got back into the contest thanks to Scott Blake and Jacky Sheridan, who both scored hat tricks. Keith Mowell, who was the leading scorer for the league in the regular season, had four assists in the period.
In the third, Ranger Charlie Klein tied the game, then Mowell scored twice to put the Rangers up for good. Derry McDonald and Willie Hayward scored, the latter on an empty netter after the Kings had pulled their goalie, to ensure victory.
In the Division I consolation, the mascot – who came out again to take a lap during the second intermission – couldn’t help the Pens, who lost to the Coyotes 6-4. David Wolfson led the Coyotes with two goals, while Eli Dingels had two goals for the Penguins.
The Ducks outlasted the Sharks 6-5 to win the Division I championship. Kazuo White scored a hat trick, while Brock Weitl had two goals and one assist.
In the Division II consolation game, the Avalanche beat the Islanders 5-3. Kevin Curran had two goals for the Islanders, while Colton Bohonos had two goals and Connor Fling had a goal and an assist.
The Stars won the Division II championship by defeating the Blackhawks 5-3. The Stars’ David Blackmon-Felts had a goal and an assist, while Tavish McDonald, Sean Willerford and Braden Shippen scored for the Blackhawks.
