Avalanche 10U takes gold
The Glacier Avalanche Squirt A are, back row left, head coach Clint Muhlfeld, Sam Trufant, Finn Safir, Cody Polumbus, Jack Muhlfeld, Adam Healy and assistant coach Jock Craig. Front row kneeling: Cody Tveidt, Rohan Kamat, Charlotte Wallace, Luke Craig, and Tait Orme. Goalie: Blake Blandon
The Glacier Avalanche Squirt A won the Montana Amateur Hockey Association’s 10U Division A state championship Sunday in Bozeman.
The Glacier Avalanche beat the Billings Bulls 8-2 in the championship game.
Glacier’s Jack Muhlfeld put the team on the scoreboard with an unassisted goal half way through the first period. Billings answered with a power play goal by Mason Sheppard late in the period.
The Avalanche scored three unanswered goals in the second period — Rohan Kamat and Finn Safir each scored unassisted goals early in the period, followed by a goal from Cody Polumbus assisted by Charlotte Wallace with less than two minutes remaining.
Billings opened the third period with a goal by Logan Williams. The Avalanche quickly responded and extended their lead throughout the period with two goals by Safir, one goal and one assist by Muhlfeld, and the final goal by Kamat with an assist from Sam Trufant.
Avalanche goaltender Blake Blandon made 29 saves to shut down a fierce Billings offensive effort, earning him the Hustle Award for the championship game.
Tough defensive play by Adam Healy and Luke Craig, and offense by Tait Orme and Cody Tveidt helped secure Glacier’s victory.
The 11-player team defeated Missoula (4-3), Bozeman (9-2), Helena (9-2), and tied Billings (5-5) to advance to the championship game.
The win represents Glacier’s first Montana Squirt A state title for the Glacier Hockey Association based in Whitefish. The team’s record is 23-4-2 in play across Montana and Western Canada.