For the first time in Canadian Sport School Hockey League (CSSHL) history a team has won both the U15 and U15 Prep division in the same season.
After capturing their first ever CSSHL U15 Western Championship yesterday, NAX followed that up today with their first ever CSSHL U15 Prep Western Championship.
Thing’s didn’t look good for NAX early on as Brody Gillespie scored 1:50 into the game, beating Parker Snell high blocker off the rush. Joe Iginla would extend the lead late in the first period as Cruz Waltze found him on a 2-on-1. Iginla received the pass and made a quick move to his backhand, sliding it past Snell.
Defenseman Daxon Rudolph (2G, 1A) would get NAX on the board with one minute remaining in the first period, beating Steele Bass with a shot from the slot. Maddox Rose would tie the game just 44 seconds into the second as NAX started to carry the majority of the play. But it was RHA Kelowna who would score next and take the lead as Cage Smith walked around a couple NAX defenders before slamming the puck home into the empty net.
NAX would respond once again just minutes later as Rudolph fed defence partner Brek Liske on the rush. Liske’s initial stop would be stopped before he buried his own rebound to tie the game.
The third period would see both teams have numerous chance but the game would remain tied after regulation, thanks in large part to two huge backdoor saves by Bass on Liske and another on Owen Chapman.
In overtime it would be RHA Kelowna who would lead a 3-on-1 with a chance to tie the game but their shot attempt would miss the net and rim all the way around the boards to Rudolph who had a partial breakaway. Rudolph would burst past the diving RHA Kelowna defender before firing it just over the pad, glove side, to give NAX the 4-3 overtime win and their first ever CSSHL U15 Prep Western Championship.