WALPOLE – With not a single blemish on their record all week, the East Coast Kings Red took home the ’99 Division championship at the 2014 Junior Chowder Cup on Sunday. After finishing pool play a perfect 3-0 to win their bracket, the Kings put together another 3-0 record on the final day of play, culminating with a 2-1 victory over First Line Hockey in the title match at Rodman Arena.
The final game was a tight one, which should not have come as much of a surprise given in the four games the two teams played leading up to the finals, only one was decided by more than a goal; the Kings’ 3-1 semifinal win over Hockey Essentials White.
The Kings assumed the lead first, Logan Cockerill putting his side up 1-0 on a goal assisted on by TJ Walsh at 7:50. It was Cockerill’s fourth goal of the day. From there much of the game was played scoreless as it was not until the waning minutes when Aiden McFarland drew the it back to even, 1-1, at 24:08. Defenseman Marc McLaughlin, however, broke up the deadlock for the last time with his goal at 27:32 that became the eventual tournament winner, giving the Kings their final 2-1 advantage.
Goaltender Brandon Graf backstopped the win in net for the Kings, while forward Ben Thomas was named the tournament MVP.