The crowd had given up on the edge of their seats early Sunday afternoon and just taken to standing as tensions ran high for the Fort Coulonge Comets and the Muskrat Atom B fans waiting in the stands during the finals.

After a tied game led to overtime and then shootouts, anticipation led to cheers as the third, fourth and fifth wave of players took their shots on closely guarded nets. Just as the pressure was proving too much for parents and coaches, the Comets’ Katie Rochon fired in her first goal of the game and the Fort Coulonge team were the proud champions of the Atom B division of the Pontiac Provincial Tournament.

Peewee and Atom level teams had their talent, grit and determination on display at the Shawville Arena, where 16 teams competed for the four cups across the weekend.

Though only the Comets would come out on top for the Pontiac teams, the Lions competed hard through thick and thin as they gave their visitors a hearty welcome to their home ice.

While the Comets cleaned up in their division, with goals from Tyson Corriveau, assisted by Jakob Dumouchel, and Jayven St-Cyr, assisted by Owen Soucie and Dumouchel, plus Rochon’s overtime goal for the win, the rest of the cups went to visitors.

The Atom A division was won by the Muskrat Voyageurs, scoring 3-1 over the Aylmer Vikings, while Peewee C saw the Aylmer Pionniers beat out Orleans Rush, with a score of 8-1.

In the Peewee A division, the Pontiac Lions met the Leitrim Hawks for a hard-fought match. The Lions were excited to hit the ice and brought a relentless amount of effort, but the Hawks came out on top with a final score of 2-0.

Regardless of the results, the young Lions were excited to have teams travelling in to play at their arena and were happy to get tons of ice time across the weekend.

Many came away with different highlights and moments to share about the tournament, as it marks a big point in their minor hockey experiences every year.

“I like that there’s not a lot of teams,” said Peewee A player Nathan Quesnel-Girard, adding that there’s still lots of competition despite this.

Atom B player Yanni Newberry was proud to have scored a goal over the weekend, especially for the fact that it was top shelf in a Saturday game.

Peewee A players Cade Kuehl and Liam Queale brought with them a similar memory, ahead of their final game on Sunday afternoon.

“I scored my first goal this tournament, which is pretty cool,” said Kuehl. “[It’s my] first goal of the season. I’ve got a lot of chances, just couldn’t bury one. So that felt pretty good.”

For Queale, it was helping his buddy Kuehl nail that goal that proved a highlight for the weekend. As well, he was excited to have played against new teams they’d never met before.

“It’s fun to see and play against new teams,” said Queale.

Both the players agreed that a big highlight is seeing old teammates at their rink again, as some Lions have moved away and joined new teams in the last few years.

“There’s some other kids that used to play for the Lions, that moved away, so we got to see them,” said Kuehl.

The Comets had the Shawville Arena tense Sunday, as the game slipped into overtime and multiple shootouts. Pictured, Atom B’s Katie Rochon celebrates her game-winning goal.

The Peewee A team fought hard through the tournament to make it to the final, but came up a bit short to place second. Pictured, Lion Paige Dubeau blocks up an Aylmer player on Sunday morning.

Lions Atom B goalie Elaina Illauq gets ready as a Muskrat player attempts to get the puck past her

Atom A player Lucas Barré looks for a teammate during Sunday’s final game against the Leitrim Hawks.

While they may not have won the title, the Peewee A Lions were proud to have placed second on their home ice.

The Fort Coulonge Comets were the only home team to take home a cup this year, and they did so in style as they won in the shootout. Pictured, the Comets won the Atom B division for 2019.

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