Willow Glen Resident

Sports

San Jose Junior Sharks ice CAHA title

By Mike Barnhart

Doing something no Northern California youth ice hockey team had done before, the San Jose Junior Sharks Midget 16 AAA squad captured the Tier I California Amateur Hockey Association championship last month.

The Jr. Sharks program, which includes 17 boys teams and six girls squads with players from throughout the Bay Area and central California, played host to the CAHA's Tier I and Tier II championships, Feb. 7-10 at Sharks Ice in San Jose. The four-day event featured the best age-group youth hockey teams from throughout California.

In the mix were five Jr. Sharks entries, the Pee Wee AA Minor 96, Bantam AAA, Midget 16AAA, Midget 18AA and Midget 18AAA. The only local winner, though, was the Midget 16AAA unit, coached by Almaden residents Justin Alonzo and Tony Zasowski.

Although it entered the tourney ranked fourth out of four teams, it won three of four games to become the first Northern California team to win a CAHA championship.

Two goals and an assist from Paul Kazarnovsky of Saratoga sparked the Jr. Sharks' 5-3 victory over the California Wave in the title game. Max Vallis of Santa Clara, David Henry and Chris Gularte also scored goals. Pierce Baron of Willow Glen, Cameron Che, David Kann, Jordan Phillips and Dan Senkbeil all had assists.

The two finalists had met in the tourney opener and finished with a similar result. Phillips and Vallis scored goals, leading the Jr. Sharks over the Wave 2-0. Kazarnovsky and Evan Greenwood added assists.

The Jr. Sharks needed to work overtime in their next game before beating the Los Angeles Selects 2-1. The Los Angeles Jr. Kings kept San Jose from going unbeaten in the preliminary round with a 5-2 decision.

The Jr. Sharks advanced to a western regional tournament March 6-9 in Anchorage, Alaska. They finished 1-2 and did not earn a trip to next month's national championships in Buffalo, N.Y.