Regals Pee Wee Minor 'AA' win Tonawanda tourney title

The Buffalo Regals Pee Wee Minor 'AA' team recently won the 15th annual Tonawanda Lightning Tournament. Members of the team, pictured from left, are: front row - Max Rosenthal (Amherst); second row - Nick Ciavarella, Stephen Sivula (Cheektowaga), Mitchell Alexin (Clarence), Connor Haseley, John Roberts (Orchard Park), Brannon Jones (Clarence); third row - Michael Blachowski (Lancaster), Mark Friol (Cheektowaga), Kyle Klawon (Lancaster), Brian Theuerkof (Lancaster), Nathan Smith (Depew), Daniel D'Amato (Lancaster), Michael Burke (West Seneca); back row - coach Tom Blachowski, head coach Geoff Jones, coach Dave Klawon; missing from photo - Kristy Kroll (Amherst) and coach Pat Roberts.

The Buffalo Regals Pee Wee Minor "AA" hockey team recently became champions of the 15th annual Tonawanda Lightning Tournament, defeating the Bud Bakewell Bruins, 5-3, in the finals. The team went undefeated against Bud Bakewell, the Tonawanda Lightning and the Hamburg Hawks in an exciting preliminary round-robin set.

The Regals took an early lead in the championship game and then battled hard through gritty, two-way hockey as the score repeatedly tied. The Regals' teamwork was on display as they came on strong in the third period to score the go-ahead goal and then confirmed the victory with an empty-net goal in the closing minute.

The championship caps off a remarkable season in which the team went undefeated in their last eight games and had a stretch of only four losses in 25 games.

Tryouts for the 1995 birth year players for the team's upcoming season will be held at Holiday Twin Rinks, 3465 Broadway St., Cheektowaga, at 7:45 p.m. on Tuesday, April 3 and at 7 p.m., Thursday, April 5. The cost of each tryout session is $10. Players from other organizations must bring a release. For more information, call coach Geoff Jones at 759-1371.