SAXTONS RIVER — The Midget team (14-18-year-olds) from Pleasant Valley Hockey Association of Saxtons River earned the title of Vermont State Amateur Hockey Champions during the championship game held on March 7 at Cairns Arena in South Burlington.
They faced the midget team from St. Albans. The game was scoreless after two periods when they took a break for ice resurfacing. Both teams came back on the ice with spunk and a will to win.
St. Albans put the first goal up at four minutes into the third period. A defensive battle ensued until Pleasant Valley's Evan St. Pierre put a slap shot into the net, tying the game with four minutes remaining in the period.
The teams kept it tied during remaining regulation play. The first 10-minute overtime period remained scoreless. The teams were still tied 1-1.
The second overtime period began after a brief break, until PVA's Reid Coursen scored the game winning goal, assisted by Luke Plumley.
Pleasant Valley Hockey Association midget teams has hockey players from five area high schools: Austin Stack, Reid Coursen, Alex Groenewold, Keenan Lowe, Clayton Groenewold and Ian Wallace from Bellows Falls Union High School; Joseph Epler and Jeremy Fleming from Green Mountain Union High School; Jed Plumley, Luke Plumley, and Evan St. Pierre from Fall Mountain (N.H.) Regional High School; Kyle Weeks and Jake Muse from Springfield High School; and Timothy Berry from Stevens High School in Claremont, N.H.
In addition to the Vermont State Amateur Hockey Association, they also play in the Tech Valley League in the Troy/Albany, N.Y., area. The midget team ended their regular season with a record of 16-6-2.