Back-to-back: Wichita Jr. Thunder hockey team wins another high school region championship

The Wichita Jr. Thunder hockey team claimed back-to-back championships in the Mid America High School Hockey League this past weekend.

It was the most dominant season yet for Wichita’s youth hockey team, which is made up of high school players from around the metropolitan area. The Jr. Thunder finished with a 21-1 record in league play, then won its second straight MAHSHL tournament title on Monday.

“This is probably the most talented team I’ve ever coached,” Jr. Thunder coach Devon Smith said. “This season was a lot of fun. We traveled to a tournament outside of our league earlier in the season and played a bunch of Chicago teams and I think that experience really helped ... our team (come together).”

The 11-team league features high school teams from Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas and Oklahoma, but Wichita’s road to a title was through three Kansas City teams.

With the tournament being played in the KC area, Smith said the Wichita players took extra pride in beating Rockhurst, the KC Saints and the KC Stars.

“We were in their yard, and I know they don’t like that a Wichita team came up there and won,” Smith said.

After a first-round scare against Rockhurst, which required overtime to advance, the Jr. Thunder regained their regular-season form that saw them average nearly six goals per game — their 131 goals were 42 more than the next-highest-scoring team.

Monday’s championship game against the KC Stars was tied 1-1 entering the third period, but Wichita’s two best players, Easton Norris and Peyton Novak, delivered in the clutch to help the Jr. Thunder pull away for a 4-1 victory.

Norris was named the championship tournament MVP after finishing with six goals and two assists in three games. The Trinity Academy senior scored a league-best 32 goals and topped the league with 43 points this season, followed closely by Novak, who finished with 22 goals and 20 assists.

“Easton probably has the best shot I’ve ever coached and I’ve been coaching for 15 years,” Smith said. “He’s got a lot of talent and speed, but his shot is what makes him special. But it’s not a one-man show. It’s a team game and we’ve got great goaltending, great defense and other great scorers. One player doesn’t make a team, but Easton is a true sniper.”

Joining those two on the all-conference team were forward Nathan Zane, defensemen Gavin Byers, defensemen Aiden Fyffe and both of Wichita’s goaltenders in Colby Byers and David Gifford.