The Los Angeles Jr. Kings’ Squirt BB1 squad celebrated the championship in its division at this year’s International Silver Stick Regional Qualifier, which was contested last weekend (Nov. 23-26) at Sharks Ice-San Jose.
Outscoring its opponents 45-7, the club ran the table with a flawless 5-0 record at the event, including a 6-3 triumph over the California Wave in the championship game.
With the victory, the Jr. Kings punched their ticket to the Silver Stick Finals, which will be contested from Jan. 11-14, 2018 in Pelham, Ontario, Canada.
“This was a great all-around effort by our entire group, and a well-deserved accomplishment,” said Jr. Kings head coach Jeff Bain, who’s assisted behind the bench by Joe Consolazio and Dan DeFranco. “The kids never let up and they were rewarded for their efforts.”
The Jr. Kings opened the tournament with a 6-3 win over the Capital Thunder on Thanksgiving Day, followed by victories over the Redwood City Black Stars (11-0) and Lake Tahoe Grizzlies (8-0) on Friday.
In the semifinals on Saturday, L.A. bested the Cupertino Cougars, 14-1, before its title match with the Wave on Sunday.
“This tournament has a lot of history, so advancing to the finals is exciting to say the least,” Bain added. “We’re looking forward to the experience and the challenge.”
Members of the team include: forwards Keirstyn Camiolo, Preston Duncan, Joseph Gannon, Bradley Hamburger, Kyle Oracion, Darron Pierce, Liam Schnorr, Brandon Thompson and Hayden Walkinshaw; defensemen Marcus Bonanni, Lucas Chao, Ben DeFranco, Karsten Hirasawa, Ethan Klapper and Elijah Schneggenburger; and goaltender Anthony Cecola.
Kara Camiolo is the team’s manager.
“We have such a great, selfless group of families, and that’s what excites me about this team the most,” said Bain. “They’re a pleasure to coach.”