Youth teams do HK proud on Beijing ice

A Hong Kong youth team were crowned champions at the Beijing International Ice Hockey Tournament.

Hong Kong SUNDAY beat Beijing SB Navy on points in the Bantam age group final after a 2-2 tie at the China World Le Cool Ice Arena in the Chinese capital last weekend. Yannick Wong led Hong Kong in scoring, while Andrew Peterson was voted top Bantam goalie of the tournament.

The Hong Kong Typhoons Ice Hockey Club sent a team to take part in four age groups - Mini Squirt (age 7-8); Squirt (age 9-10); Peewee (age 11-12); and Bantam (age 13-14). Other participating international teams included Singapore, Beijing Cavaliers, Sports Beijing and China World.

In the Squirts category, the Hong Kong team lost a tough final 1-0 against Beijing SB Red. Graydon Goldman, the Hong Kong goalie, had an outstanding game, stopping more than 20 shots.

Hong Kong stepped up the pressure in the dying minutes but were unable to get past the Beijing goalkeeper. Hong Kong were third in the Mini Squirt and Peewee categories.

Youth ice hockey is popular in Hong Kong, with more than 100 local and expatriate skaters aged seven to 14 taking part in the SUNDAY Night Hockey League (SNHL) which runs for six months every year from October.