UTICA, N.Y. — It appeared the 3A title game of the 2025 Chipotle-USA Hockey Youth Tier II 18U 3A National Championships was destined for overtime.

Colin Doherty decided there was no need for that, scoring twice in the final three minutes to help propel the Montgomery Ice Devils (MA) to a national title.

The Ice Devils added an empty net score to finalize a 5-2 win over the New Jersey Jets (NJ).

“This is awesome,” Pierre Gosselin, Montgomery’s head coach said. “We came last year and finished second. We said, ‘We’re going back and we’re not losing.’ It doesn’t get better than this.”

“The boys battled,” Steven Jones, the head coach of New Jersey said. “Montgomery was a solid team. They are a big team, a physical team, and they just wore us down a little bit.”

Both teams came into Sunday having run the table. The only difference was one of Montgomery’s wins was in overtime.

Both teams were scoring four, five, six goals a game. The Jets let up exactly one goal in each of their first four games.

Thus, it was no surprise the game was nip and tuck all the way until that final outburst.

The Jets got on the scoreboard first just 1:16 into the game with a Jase Zangara goal. Ten minutes later, Watts Colclough tied it at one apiece on a quick rush.

Late in the second period, Doherty scored while shorthanded on a shot from the right circle which somehow snuck through.

“We went in two-on-one, and the defenseman was covering the pass, so I just took a shot,” Doherty said.

Once again, Zangara scored quickly at the start of a period, this time 46 seconds into the third, tying the game at 2-2.

Back and forth the game went, with both teams creating excellent opportunities. It seemed like a game destined for an extra period.

That is until Doherty, from up high, sent a shot that bounced strangely on the way barely getting by the goalie and over the line with 2:56 left in regulation.

“We were just working it in the zone,” Doherty said. “Trying to get shots on net for rebounds. It was pretty lucky, but we’ll take it.”

“He’s a clutch guy,” Gosselin said. “He scored many of the game-winning goals for us this season. He’s just dialed in.”

With the Jets pressing for the equalizer, Doherty sprung the other way on a two-on-one breakaway. He took it himself and put scored with his backhand, completing the hat trick.

Colclough sealed it with the empty netter.

James Faricy made 32 saves for the Ice Devils, while Luc Jansson stopped 37 for the Jets.

“It feels great,” Doherty said of the national championship. “It was our goal since the beginning of the season, and we accomplished it. It’s nice.”

“I’m proud of these kids, coaches, parents,” Gosselin said. “It’s fantastic.”

Story from Red Line Editorial, Inc.