MLN - THE RAW FEED - www.mlntherawfeed.com - KITCHENER, Ont. - On Memorial Day the Spokane Chiefs became the first U.S. based team in 10 years to win the Memorial Cup, the championship of the Canadian Hockey League, with a 4-1 win over the host Kitchener Rangers. Dustin Tokarski backstopped the Chiefs with 53 saves and earned the tournament's MVP honors and helped Spokane win their second Memorial Cup in franchise history.
"Its crazy, I don't know how to explain it," Chiefs 19- year-old Justin McCrae said. "At the start of the year I never thought I would be hoisting the Memorial Cup, but I couldn't ask to do it with a better group of guys."
ADVERTISEMENT For the second straight game between the two, Kitchener scored first after the Rangers won a face-off in the Spokane end and Mike Mascioli's initial shot was stopped. Brandon Mashinter was there for the rebound goal at 5:01 of the first period.
Spokane tied it up with a power play goal by Judd Blackwater, his first of the tournament. The play was a prototypical Ondrej Roman feed from behind the net, skating with the puck, the left handed shot reversed the play to Blackwater coming down the left wing. The 20-year-old tied it up at 16:10.
"I saw the defenseman skating backward and thought I could beat him with my speed. Judd just stepped to the first post and yelled for the puck. It was a great play by him and I think a huge goal after they scored first."
The second period saw Spokane take a two goal lead with goals by Drayson Bowman and Trevor Glass.
Bowman scored at 4:11 with a wrist shot from the left circle with a Chris Bruton assist.
Glass, who was playing in his second straight Memorial Cup Final, walked down the seam in on the right side and snapped it past Josh Unice for his first of the tournament. Bruton had his second assist of the night.
Spokane entered the third period with a two goal lead but knew the Rangers didn't have would play their best period of the tournament coming out in the third.
"It was pure desperation," Jared Spurgeon said. "We knew they were going to come out in the third period and give it their all be we played simple hockey and gutted it out."
As well as being named the tournament MVP Tokarski was named the Outstanding Goaltender and to the All- Star team. Bowman, Mitch Wahl and Justin Falk were also named to the tournament's all-star team.
The Chiefs will travel home from Kitchener on Monday and are planned to have a rally at the Spokane Arena at 12:00. Fans can enter through the main gates.
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