MEMBERTOU, N.S. — 

It wasn’t the ending the hosts wanted.

But the fact that the Riverview Redmen captured the Sydney Academy-hosted Blue and White Contractor Cup tournament is only bound to intensify of the decades-long rivalry between the two Cape Breton high school hockey teams.

On Sunday, about 300 people turned out in freezing rain conditions to take in the tournament’s championship game between the Redmen and the Dartmouth Spartans. And when the horn sounded to end the contest, the Riverview players were celebrating after a 3-0 victory in a game that was closer than the final score.

After a scoreless first period in which they were heavily outshot, the Redmen began the second frame with renewed intensity. The Riverview players swarmed the Spartans zone crashing and bumping the Dartmouth defenders.

The momentum shift translated into a goal soon after Redmen forward Chase Sampson was heavily smashed into the boards. On the ensuing play, Sampson took control of the puck at the top of the face-off circle and whipped a zinger into the net past the possibly-screened Dartmouth goalie.

 

Riverview forward Chase Sampson raises his stick after shooting the puck past the goalie and into the Dartmouth Spartans net to give his Redmen a 2-0 lead on their way to claiming the 2020 Sydney Academy Blue and White Contractor Cup tournament on Sunday before about 300 fans at the Membertou Sport and Wellness Centre. Sampson also scored the game-winning goal earlier in the contest. Riverview won the game 3-0.

Sampson would cement the win early in the third period when he split the defence and shovelled the puck into the Spartans net. Riverview would add a third and breeze through the final minutes before claiming victory at the sound of the buzzer.

The Redmen earned their way to the championship game after defeating the host Sydney Academy Wildcats 5-3 in one of two semifinal matches played on Saturday evening. The Spartans defeated the Memorial Marauders 3-1 in the other semi.

Eight teams participated in the tournament which was a resumption of the longtime Sydney-hosted competition that has been around in one form or another since the days (1970s and 1980s) of the Cape Breton Metros Hockey Association annual invitational tournament that attracted some of the best highs school teams from across Canada.

Other teams taking part in this year’s tournament were the Glace Bay Panthers, the Richmond Hurricanes, Chester’s Forest Heights Falcons and Dartmouth’s Prince Andrew Panthers.

sports@cbpost.com