Guilford, Conn. – The 9th annual ECC Prep Cup is officially in the books as teams from across North America gathered in various prep schools in the Northern Massachusetts area in what promised to be an exciting and highly competitive atmosphere.

The weekend’s games were played at three great facilities in Cushing Academy, Winchendon School and Fitchburg State University. “Hosting a tournament at venues such as these gives our athletes inspiration,” explained Peter Alden, ECC Tournaments Chairman. “Not only is it a chance to play in a facility that is better than what they are used to playing, but it shows them that with hard work and dedication to their craft, they can get to that next level where they can get the chance to experience it every day.”

Those following the 13U division witnessed their own Cinderella story. Having gone 0-3 during pool play, the New Jersey Rockets began their Sunday morning contest with a tough road ahead if they wanted to win the White division championship.  However, they shut out both the Elite Hockey Program in the quarterfinals and the New Hampshire Avalanche in the semi-finals before stunning the Vermont Dynamo 2-1 in the championship matchup to earn the 14U White Division crown. In the Red division, the CT Jr. Whalers went a perfect 5-0 on the weekend. This was capped off by a 4-3 victory over the Springfield Rifles en route to their Red division championship.

The 14U White division also saw a team go undefeated. The Boston Jr. Terriers met the Mercer Chiefs in the first semi-final matchup, winning 3-1 and extending their unbeaten streak for the tournament. In the second semi-final game, the Rhode Island Saints defeated the Vermont Dynamo for a chance to try to change the Terriers’ luck. The Terriers remained victorious though and earned the White division title with a 5-3 win over the Saints and an unbeaten record for the weekend. 

Finally, the 14U Red division had a major upset in the semi-finals. Having gone 3-0 in pool play, the Neponset Valley River Rats met Académie St. Louis attempting to also have a perfect weekend. Unfortunately for them, they lost a close 4-3 contest. In the other semi-final matchup, the Mississauga Senators won in deciding fashion over the Long Island Rebels, 7-1, to make it an all-Canadian Red division final. After a hard-fought battle, Mississauga came out on top and became Red division champions. 

“Overall, I think this was a very successful weekend,” Alden continued. “There was plenty of tough competition at all levels and it was fun to watch how the tournament played out.” On the success of the East Coast Classic Tournaments season, Alden added, “I’d like to thank all the participating teams for another fantastic ECC season. We are already putting in the effort to make next year an even better experience for everyone involved and I’m definitely looking forward to how much better the competition will be next year!”

To find our recap video: CLICK HERE

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