SAN JOSE, Calif. — Joshua Eernisse had a fantastic tournament with 10 goals and four assists for the Minnesota Moose at the 2019 Chipotle-USA Hockey Youth Tier II 18U National Championships.
He had three goals in the first game of the tournament, but his best game was against the Clarence Mustangs, when he scored all five Moose goals.
He scored two goals in the first period, two goals in the third period, and then one in overtime to put the Moose on top 5-4. It was a stellar performance in a close game for Eernisse.
The Moose would go on to lose the 3A division championship game in overtime to Team Ohio after winning their other four games of the tournament.
Delaware Ducks come up short in 1A
After not being tested in their first three games of the tournament, the Ducks lost 3-2 in overtime to the Alaska Oilers in a 1A division semifinal game.
The Ducks beat the Portland Jr. Winterhawks in their first game of the tournament, 11-0. Zach Swift was absolutely dominant in this game, scoring a whopping four goals in the second period alone. He ended with seven points total.
The Ducks carried their momentum into the next game against the Park City Ice Miners, taking a 4-0 lead. The Ducks didn’t allow a goal in the tournament until midway through the third period of their second game, that they ended up winning 6-2.
Their third game would be another blowout, with Swift pitching in another two goals and two assists in a 9-1 Ducks victory.
Despite the strong showing thus far in the tournament, the semifinal was a different test for the Ducks. They lost to the Alaska Oilers on a Ben Martensen overtime goal.
Atlanta Phoenix dominate 1A pool play
The Atlanta Phoenix had no problem winning their group in the 1A division, going undefeated in three games to make it to the semifinal. They were led by Andrew Smith’s seven goals in the tournament. He scored once for the Phoenix in the first game of the tournament, a 4-2 win over the Oilers.
The Phoenix went on a scoring barrage against their next two opponents, with Smith scoring three goals each in both games.
Other top performers in pool play for the Phoenix were Quinn Pichel, with three goals and five assists, and Mitchell Koss, with four goals and four assists. They also had strong goalie play from Armon Sarvghad.
The Phoenix went on to win the championship in a rematch of their first game against the Oilers.
Team Ohio wins 3A semifinal shootout
In a semifinal game against the Geneva Cylcones, Team Ohio won 3-2 when the twelfth shot of a shootout finally went in. Jack Henry Muha had the game-winning shot for Ohio. He also scored the first goal of the game on a power play in the second period.
The teams played the entire overtime period, but neither could get anything going with a championship game bid on the line. Then, the Cyclones missed all six of their shots in the shootout, while Ohio made their sixth attempt.
Team Ohio won multiple games in come-from-behind fashion this tournament. They also beat the Anaheim Jr. Ducks after falling behind 4-2. Muha was key in that game too, scoring Ohio’s fourth and fifth goals for the tie and the lead in the second period.
Story from Red Line Editorial, Inc.