The NAPHL Championship was held in Ottawa from March 3rd to March 5th at the Richcraft Sensplex in Ottawa, Ontario. While Les Faucons came into the Championships with high hopes, the shortcomings of previous seasons loomed large on the mind of Program Director and Head Coach Shawn Anderson.

“One and done playoff formats are always tough. A little bit of bad luck can really misrepresent what your team is really capable of.”, said Anderson, adding, “We knew what kind of team we were coming in, and as long as we stayed true to ourselves, our chances would be great to win it all.”

The quest for the U18 cup started Friday against Fort Erie Academy, where Les Faucons came away with a 3-1 win. The win came on the strength of 2 goals by Zach Chouinard.

Next up on Saturday morning was VC Academy, Zach Chouinard and Zachary Leblanc each factor in with a goal and an assist in Le Sommet’s 4-2 victory. The win gave Les Faucons a birth in the semi-finals vs. King’s Edgehill, longtime rivals of Les Faucons.

In the afternoon, Chouinard added another 2 goals, and Leblanc had another, as Les Faucons punched their ticket into the U18 Final with a convincing 6-2 win over King’s Edgehill, setting the stage for the Championship showdown between Les Faucons and Fort Erie on Sunday morning.

Fort Erie came out strong, but Les Faucons expected the push back since they had beat Fort Erie just 2 days prior. Jean-Christophe Deslauriers turned away every shot on-goal, while Zach Chouinard, Le Sommet’s Finals MVP, and Felix Couture scored, and gave Les Faucons the championship victory.

“It’s all about the journey,” Anderson continued. “Championships are won by sticking to a common goal and idiology. Our boys followed our coaching staff and the direction we provided. Do that, and success is guaranteed.”

Les Faucons have one more tournament to go, the NISIC Championship, to complete their game schedule. Overall, the season has been a resounding success.

Congratulations, gentlemen.