MARQUETTE - The Marquette Elks Squirt youth hockey team went undefeated in winning the Skating For A Reason tournament held in Sault Ste. Marie last weekend.
The Elks, now 29-12-5, defeated Munising 5-1 in the championship game as Sean O'Connor notched a three-goal hat trick and an assist, while Ivan Bannan had a goal and two assists.
Jacob Allard-Soucey scored Marquette's other goal, with Sydney McCarthy and Joseph Giorgianni getting assists.
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The Marquette Elks squirt youth hockey team coaches and players pose with their championship trophy after finishing undefeated at the Skating For A Reason tournament in Sault Ste. Marie. (Submitted)
Mason Schieding picked up Munising's lone goal off winning netminder Soren Higgins, who stopped 15 shots. Brennen Hakkola had 13 for Munising. Ethan Sellers was named the Elks game MVP.
In the semifinals, the Elks downed Sault Ste. Marie's Big Bear 8-2. O'Connor scored six times and Sellers and Allard-Soucey once each as Tim Muladore picked up two assists and O'Connor and Ryan McCoy one each. The Elks fired 23 shots in support of Higgins, who faced just 10 shots. Allard-Soucey was named game MVP.
In qualifying play, O'Connor scored all three goals in the Elks opening 3-1 victory over the Bullson Bulldogs. Among those with assists were Beau Belkowski, Kyle Johnson, Kyle Pascoe and Luke Lahtinen. Higgins faced just eight shots in net as O'Connor was MVP.
In game two, Marquette edged Soo Central Savings Bank 3-2 as the Sault Ste. Marie team couldn't score on a late 6-on-3 advantage. O'Connor again had all three goals. Higgins was MVP by stopping 13 Soo shots.
In the final round-robin game, the Elks dropped the Soo Builders, 8-2. O'Connor had another hat trick as Bannan and Lahtinen scored two times apiece and Sellers had one. Sellers recorded the three-assist playmaker and Jaden Lessard had two. Higgins stopped 11 shots and Lahtinen was named game MVP.