One Nanaimo minor hockey team ended 2014 by winning an international hockey tournament title.
The Nanaimo Clippers Tier 1 bantam rep team won the Richmond International Hockey Tournament, defeating the Juan de Fuca Orcas 3-1 in the final on New Year’s Eve.
Dawson Heathcote scored two goals in the final, Rick Takeda had the game-winning goal midway through the third period and Josh Zary had two assists. Jaden Little was the winning goalie.
The team finished with a 5-1 record at the tourney. Heathcote, Takeda, Zary and Jared Winkel all finished in the top five in tournament scoring and Austin Dendl had four wins in net.
Nanaimo also had a team in the midget Tier 2 division at the tournament. That Clippers squad finished with a 2-2 record and were edged 3-2 by the South Delta Storm in the playoff round.
For information about the Nanaimo Minor Hockey Association’s Hockey Day in Nanaimo this Saturday (Jan. 10), please see page 2.