The Carolina Jr. Hurricanes USPHL Elite team saw a Marc-Antoine Vincent double-overtime goal lift them to the status of 2022-23 USPHL Elite National Champions!
The Jr. Canes traded goals with the other finalist the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights in the first and second periods of the National Championship game, played at the Utica University Nexus Centre in Utica, N.Y.
Jacob Gifford started the scoring at 4:15 of the first, assisted by Brayden Strong.
Next up, but more than 10 minutes later, it was WBS tying the goal off the stick of Carson Scott, assisted by Sam Turkowitz and Sam Pfeiffer.
The second period saw more of the same – goal by Carolina answered back by the Knights.
Brayden Strong scored an unassisted goal at 14:45 for Carolina.
The WBS Knights evened it up at 19:14, with Maverick Rudolph scoring from Eric McHale and Samuel Russo on the power play.
The third period and first overtime both went by without scoring, but with both teams getting their chances. Both had seven shots apiece in the third period, and the Knights peppered Carolina’s Tristan Falsetto with 14 shots in the first overtime. Eight shots were sent the way of Dylan Boughen, of WBS, but neither team found paydirt in the first extra 20 minutes.
Finally, just after the start of the second OT, Marc-Antoine Vincent took a pass from Jacob Gifford and went in alone to score the ultimate golden goal.
And that was it! Your Carolina Jr. Hurricanes are the 2022-23 USPHL Elite Champions. Congratulations to the Langlois family, Head Coach Brad Gaylord, GM Lincoln Flagg and of course, the ones who make it happen, the players, parents and billet parents! This one’s for you!
