PICTOU COUNTY: The U15AA East Hants Penguins skated their way to the championship at the 40th Pictou County Bantam Memorial Tournament in dramatic fashion recently.
East Hants earned a thrilling 3–2 double-overtime victory over the Shediac Cap-Pelé Prédateurs.
The team’s dominant round robin performance set up a highly anticipated gold medal showdown against the Prédateurs.
Both teams traded chances in a tightly contested game that saw strong defensive play, clutch saves, and relentless effort from both sides.
Regulation time solved nothing, and the teams headed to overtime still locked in a 2-2 tie.
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The drama only intensified.
One overtime period came and went without a winner, sending the championship game into sudden death double overtime.
With the format of 3 on 3 hockey, the open ice created the opportunity for a hero to emerge.
That hero came in the form of Camden Sheridan.
After a faceoff deep in Shediac’s zone, the puck dropped and Sheridan exploded into action.
Blowing past the Prédateurs’ defensemen with blazing speed, he broke in alone and snapped the puck top shelf where Granny keeps the cookies, sending the Penguins bench and their fans into a frenzy.
The goal sealed a 3-2 victory and secured the championship banner for East Hants.
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To start the tournament, the Penguins faced early adversity in their opening game of the tournament, surrendering a quick goal and falling behind 1-0. But that would be the only time all weekend the team found themselves trailing.
East Hants responded immediately, storming back with relentless pressure and disciplined play to take control of the game and from that moment forward, they never looked back.
Powered by a balanced attack and elite goaltending, the Penguins cruised through round robin play with a perfect 3-0 record.
The backbone of that success came between the pipes, where star goaltenders Ryian Dunbar and Mason Boyd delivered outstanding performances.
The duo shut down opposing offenses all weekend, giving their team the confidence to push the pace and control play in every matchup.
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The team included:
Players
Ryian Dunbar; Mason Boyd; Cohen Baxter; Mason Cyr; Lachlann Davis; Jackson Forster; Nash Garden; Ethan Heard; Chase Isenor (who is a fan of The Laker News we heard); Nimkeek Julian; Wesley MacIsaac; Maddox Sampson; Camden Sheridan; Jaxon Singer; Jaxon Smith; Caleb Stone; and Max Thompson.
Coaching Staff
Kyle Isenor; Gus Smith; Brett Garden; Jacob Sanford (from the Jr B Penguins); and Mike Boyd.