Local Pucksters Take Home Two Championships

A great weekend for Agawam youth hockey culminated with a title for the Pee Wee 1 squad and the Mite 1 squad.

Agawam youth hockey is made up of skaters from Hamilton, Wenham, Ipswich, Essex and Manchester-By-The Sea.

The Valley League championships took place at the Malden Valley Forum on April 9 and April 10. The Mites win came on Saturday and the Pee Wees on Sunday.

The Pee Wees took the trophy with a 5-4 win over Stoneham in the final game; the Chiefs finished 18-14-2 on the season, avenging an earlier 5-1 loss to Stoneham.

Agawam got the winning goal in the third period from center Mikey Gillis, who beat three defenders through the offensive zone to bury the game-winner. It was his second goal of the game.

Robbie Shepherd, Danny Frey and Gillis scored the first three goals for the Chiefs, and with Stoneham up 4-3, Frey scored his second goal of the game to knot it up at four goal each.

Agawam goalie Ben Brophy stood tall, holding off rush after rush by Stoneham, and closed the door on the 5-4 win with the Stoneham goalie pulled for an extra attacker.

John Gillis, Mike Brophey, Jim Turner and Lee Apgar make up the Pee Wee coaching staff.

“It was a great win for the boys,” coach Lee Apgar said. “We needed a time-out with 15 seconds to play in the Stoneham game, but the team was able to close it out.”

“The kids were apprehensive seeing they’d have to beat Stoneham to win the championship, but they really came together and played well,” Apgar said.

Members of the Pee Wee champions include Alex Apgar, Ben Brophey, Ricky Calvani, Gavin Cann, Charlotte Clark, Chris Difluri, Danny Frey, Mikey Gillis,   Kieran McKay, Nick McLane, Robbie Shepherd and James Turner.

The Mite squad ran into a tough opponent in Lexington-Bedford in the championship game, the Chiefs had lost to Lexington-Bedford earlier in the season 3-0.

Colby Guyer scored to tie the game at one, and set up teammate Jimmy Ayers to put Agawam up 2-1.

The Chiefs put some distance between themselves and their opponents, moving ahead 4-1 on goals from Aidan Cann and George Gibson.

Lexington-Bedford put on the pressure, and pulled within one goal at 4-3, but solid play from Michael Ayers, Birch Lake and Kyle Khani helped preserve the win.

Head coach Matt Cann said it was probably the best game his team played all season, and they picked a great time to do it.

The Mite coaches for 2010-2011 included Matt Cann, Chris Gibson and Rick Clarke.

Skating for the Mite champs were  Jimmy Ayers, Michael Ayers, Aidan Cann, Katelyn Clarke, Lenny Dolan, Conor Evers, Ryan Evers, George Gibson, Colby Guyer, Kyle Khani, Birch Lake and Jared McLaughlin.