Chris Peterson Havre Daily News cpeterson@havredailynews.com
Over the weekend, the Havre Ice Hawks high school hockey team did battle for the Montana Amateur Hockey Association state championship in Butte. The Ice Hawks began the tournament taking part in pool play. The Ice Hawks, were placed in pool Red opened up the tournament against Butte. Havre rolled to an easy 8-2 win over the Blues thanks to three goals from senior center Todd Roe, two goals from wing Mason Sheppard, as well as a goal from Shane Kemmer, Kyle Miller and Tyler Boyce. Roe, Beau Briese, Sheppard, Kemmer, and Kyle Miller each added assists. In the second game of pool play, the Ice Hawks went toe-to-toe with the Great Falls Americans, who fell to Havre by the score of 4-3. The game was a rematch of the 2007 state championship game played in Havre last March. Roe, Sheppard and Bradley Hanson all scored goals in the win over the Amerians, while Roe, Kemmer and Boyce each contributed with an assist a piece in the one-goal victory. Senior goalie David Zentmire was brilliant over the course of the first two games stopping 23 shots in the win over Butte in the opening game, followed by a 26-save effort in the win over the Americans. In all, he allowed five goals in the first two games. By way of their wins in pool play by a combined score of 12-5, the Ice Hawks advanced into the medal round, where they began play against Billings on Saturday night in the semifinals. However, the Ice Hawks’ run to the state championship ended against Billings, as the Bulls shut out the Ice Hawks by the score of 1-0. Paul Hoffman scored the winning goal in the contest for the Bulls. Zentmire also managed to stop 31 shots in the loss for the Ice Hawks. The loss to Billings dropped Havre from state title contention, yet, they still had a shot at the third-place trophy when they took the ice against the Great Falls Americans for the second time in three days on Sunday morning. And the Ice Hawks were successful for the second time over the Americans in the three-game tournament. Boyce sparked the Ice Hawks to victory behind two goals, while Roe and Ryan Armstrong also contributed with a goal. Sheppard, Roe and Armstrong all had assists, while Kemmer also played a big role on offense with two assists on offense. The win resulted in the Ice Hawks taking home the third-place trophy from the MAHA tournament.
