WAYNE, N.J. – Ice Vault Arena was filled with energy over the weekend, as the inaugural Atlantic Affiliate 12U Tier-I and Tier-II Championship for both youth and girls divisions filled the building. 20 teams advanced to the event that featured round robin games on Friday and Saturday with a championship game on Sunday.
The first two title matchups went into overtime, with Genesis Hockey Club and Princeton Jr. Tigers battling it out for the Tier-II Youth crown. After three full periods of action up and down the rink, the teams looked strong at the top of the 10-minute overtime period. Halfway through, Genesis managed to sneak one in and skate away with the first place banner.
In the Girls Tier-II division, it was a title matchup between New Jersey Devils Youth and Philadelphia Little Flyers. Once again, the teams stood tall at the start of the period. An accidental trip by the Devils gave the Little Flyers hope, but the defense managed to outlast the full penalty kill. A minute after the penalty ended, the Little Flyers fired one into the corner of the net and emerged victorious.
The third game of the day featured a Tier-I Girls battle between the New Jersey Colonials and New Jersey Bandits. The game started out at a 1-1 tie before the Colonials managed to pull away late in the first period. The Bandits bounced back and managed to hold back the Colonials. In the end, the Colonials stood tall and raised the banner high at the buzzer.
The final game of the day was in the Tier-I Youth division between the New Jersey Rockets and Philadelphia Little Flyers. Players showed up to battle, racing end-to-end with two quick goals for each team at the start. But the Rockets managed to slowly pull away, finishing on top and collecting the final white hats of the weekend in Wayne.
Games continue next week for Tier-I and Tier-II Youth National Bound Championships at Ice House Arena in Hackensack, New Jersey, and for Tier-II Youth Affiliate Championships at Hatfield Ice in Colmar, Pennsylvania.