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Regarded as a military member’s highlight of the hockey season, U.S. Air Forces in Europe’s 18th annual Ice Hockey Tournament took place in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, during the Valentine’s Day weekend.
Months of preparation and practice were focused on one outcome – the hope of bringing home the gold. Teams from all over Europe, including the Shape Shields, Bitburg Bears, Bayern Rangers, Aviano Dragons, Baden Bruins, Geilenkirchen Flyers and KMC Eagles (I and II), were part of the tournament that consisted of two pools with three round robin games, followed by a semi-final and championship game.
The tournament began early for the Eagles I team as they were slotted to play the Bitburg Bears in the first game of the tournament. Bitburg put up a fight, but the KMC Eagles, the favored and defending champions, quickly put away the Bears with a final score of 5-1. During the game, goals were scored by Eagles members Jack Connolly, Adam Nyitray, Scott Zwiers, Andy Venne and Jordan Sealy. Eagles goalie Ryan Allen made 14 saves during the game.
But the confident Eagles had to wait another four hours before getting on the ice again against the Shape Shields. The game started off slow but quickly became a one-sided affair. Leading the way with three goals each was Jack Connolly and Buddy Upham, resulting in a 12-1 Eagles win.
The third and final round robin game for the Eagles was played early on the second day against the tough Bayern Rangers team. Unknown and 2-0 in their first two contests, the Rangers were the toughest battle the Eagles faced. The game was very physical right from the start, resulting in multiple penalties for both teams. At one point, the Rangers had a five on three player advantage, but solid defensive playing from Chief Dick and Ace Slepica killed off the penalty time and added a shorthanded goal. In a tough match, the Eagles would roll to a 6-1 victory led by scoring leader Chris Mitchell with three goals and Andy Venne with another goal from the point.
Later on Day Two, the Eagles played the Aviano Dragons, who earlier had upset the Baden Bruins to land themselves in the semi-finals. The game started quick and ended just as fast with Aviano putting in a great effort. But in the end, they could not stop the strong offensive play from the Eagles who won 12-1.
On the final day, three final games were played. The KMC Eagles faced the very strong and skilled Geilenkirchen Flyers, a Canadian NATO team. The Eagles and Flyers both had numerous scoring opportunities at the start of the first period but the Eagles came out on top with a 2-1 lead, thanks to saves from goalie Ryan Allen. The Eagles kept this momentum in the second period scoring their third goal in the first five minutes.
With relentless play, the Eagles were able to wear down the Flyers with their speed and ability to control play, scoring three additional goals to conclude the second period with a 6-1 lead. Later, the Eagles and Flyers took to the ice once more. Looking at a five goal deficit, the Flyers needed an overpowering offense to get back into the game. The Eagles went to short shifts and played defensive hockey. The Eagles ended the third period en-route to their second repeat USAFE championship.
Chris Mitchell, who led the way during the final game with two goals, was named tournament top scorer and MVP, along with fellow Eagles all-stars Jack Connolly, Adam Nyitray, Scott Zwiers and Andy Venne. Additional goals by Spencer Forbes and Buddy Upham helped secure victory. Todd Poynter, president of the KMC organization, accepted the trophy along with team captain Jack Connolly.
