Fifth win in 14 years at D-2 hockey provincials for NKEC boys’
For a fifth time in the 14-year history of the school, the NKEC Titans have been named the NSSAF Division 2 boys’ provincial hockey champions.
The Titans won the provincial banner March 27, topping the host Eastern Shore Mariners 4-1 in the provincial final.
Joining NKEC and Eastern Shore in the six-team tournament field were Dalbrae, the defending provincial champs who captured the title a year ago in Canning; Central Kings; Yarmouth; and Hants East.
NKEC head coach Colin Duncan described the provincials as “a very memorable weekend for a variety of reasons,” including a number of graduating players.
“We had eight graduating players, only one of which had won provincials before –
ironically, in Eastern Shore in 20112012,” Duncan said.
With so many graduating players, making it to provincials and winning the banner “was something that, as a team, we wanted to accomplish since we started practicing Sept. 14.”
The tournament got underway March 27 with Eastern Shore blanking Yarmouth 5-0. Central Kings then took on Dalbrae and eked out a 2-1 victory.
In the evening games, Eastern Shore improved to 2-0 with a 4-3 overtime win over Hants East, and NKEC, the Western Region champions, topped Central Kings 3-1.
The round robin concluded March 28. Hants East blanked Yarmouth 4-0, and NKEC edged Dalbrae 4-3 in a shootout, ensuring a new provincial champion.
In the semifinals, Eastern Shore edged Central Kings 2-1, and NKEC topped Hants East 5-2, setting up a NKEC-Eastern Shore final in which the Titans prevailed 4-1 on goals by Justin Allen, Riley Matheson, Drew Russell and Jonah Vidito.
“All of the games (at provincials) were close, and really, any of the teams could have come out on top,” Duncan said.
Prior to the final, Duncan had four members of the 2011-2012 champions visit the Titans’ dressing room “to explain what it had meant to them to be a provincial champion.”
The talk must have inspired the 20142015 team, which went out and “played the game of their lives,” he said.
“I’ve never coached a team that started a game with so much unison and played with such focused determination,” he said.
The Titans were “just about perfect” in the first period.
“I don’t think anyone would have expected that.”
The second period ended with NKEC up 4-1, and although Eastern Shore “applied one last push in the third period,” there was no further scoring.
Team captain Justin Allen opened the scoring for the Titans in the first.
“In the final, the boys were ready for the game, prepared and came out flying. You could feel it in the dressing room (before the game). Everybody was excited,” Allen said.
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“Even going into the third period, it was an awesome feeling, and an awesome atmosphere.”
Teammate Dylan Woolaver agreed. “Everybody knew it was there for the taking,” he said. “All we had to do was finish it off.”
Allen’s early score opened the door for the team, Duncan added.
“This seemed to give the boys the belief that anything was possible,” he said.
“It was a total team effort, starting with an MVP weekend from goalie Noah Turner, tremendous defensive play by our blueliners and a group of forwards who used their unforgiving forecheck to capitalize when the opportunities arose.”
The efforts of the NKEC team made their coaches proud, Duncan added.
“We could not have been prouder of these young men, how they played the game and the sportsmanship they showed through the tournament,” Duncan said.
“We feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to work with such a great group of student athletes who take pride in representing their school and will sacrifice seven months of the year to work together to accomplish this goal.”
Duncan had praise for Eastern Shore and Central Kings, which “came within one goal of qualifying for the provincial final….(The Gators) are proof that hard work and determination are the key to any team’s success.”
Previously, the Titans had won provincial banners in 2005, 2007 and back-to-back in 2011 and 2012. NKEC was also provincial runner-up in 2004, 2009 and 2013.