National Championship Within Grasp Of MJHL's Kings
May 8, 2010
Dauphin Kings are hoping to bring Manitoba the national Junior A championship, when they take to the ice Sunday afternoon at Credit Union Place.
The Neepawa Natives will be watching and cheering proudly for their MJHL rivals.
A Kings win will solidify the consensus that the MJHL is among the upper echelons of the best leagues in North America.
More important, The Natives are genuinely excited for the Dauphin squad to be rewarded for the great effort and hard work their group has put in all season long.
The Kings wont have an easy road to the RBC Cup, now having to get by the talented Vernon Vipers, who just so happen to be the defending Cup champions. (The 2 p.m. game will be televised on TSN). Vernon advanced to the championship final with a victory over Brockville.
Kings, winners of 50 regular-season games, had their fans on the edge of the seats, hanging on to a 3-2 lead after 40 minutes. It had looked like the Kings were going to run away with the game at one point holding a comfy 3-0 lead. But the IceWolves, who lost the ANAVET Cup to the Kings, rallied in the second period scoring a pair of goals over a four-minute period to pull within one and set the stage for a nail-biting third period.
As hes done all year, the MJHLs top goaltender Joe Caligiuri frustrated all comers by playing like the second coming of Patrick Roy. Unbeatable. Unflappable. Undefeated thus far in the RBC Cup tourney.
Zeanan Ziemer eased the suspense a bit when he scored six minutes into the third, giving the Kings a two-goal lead. Mitch Czibere, who has already won a Memorial Cup with Vancouver, hammered home the insurance goal while on the powerplay.
Rounding out the Kings scoring were Bryce Lamb, Angus Klassen (first of the RBC Cup) and captain Steven Shamanski, who scored a pair, one coming late in the third into an empty net.
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