McCann Backstops Wizards To Title

The Wonderland Wizards Pee Wee B hockey team finished as State Champions in the Norris Division of the Connecticut Hockey Conference this past weekend. John McCann, a sixth grader at Reed Intermediate School, is the first-year Pee Wee goaltender for the Wizards.

 The Wizards went undefeated over the course of the season-ending tournament held at the University of Connecticut’s Mark Edwards Freitas Ice Forum and capped off the championship with a 7-1 win over the Pawling, NY Pee Wee A team.

The final game, against the Pawling, was a particularly significant one to the Wizards as they lost twice to Pawling during the regular season. The Wizards opened the scoring with two goals in the first period. Pawling, with a strong offensive effort, looked to tighten things up and put one on the board early in the second period. The game remained a tight battle for most of the second period, but the Wizards never let up, maintained control of the puck, and added another goal. In the final period, the Wizards again opened up the scoring and gained significant momentum. They forced a number of turnovers and capitalized to pull away for the win. McCann faced 19 shots throughout the game with a flurry of saves in the third stanza.

The Wizards, playing out of the Wonderland of Ice in Bridgeport, finished the season with 34 wins, 17 losses and 2 ties.