HOCKEY. Last weekend, in the states of Rhode Island and Massachusetts in the United States, four Drummondville residents helped the Broncos (M18 D1) from La Découverte high school in Saint-Léonard-d’Aston win the tournament. MLK Invite 2023.
It was a real marathon that awaited players aged 15 to 18. The young hockey players, including Drummondville residents Théo Bergeron, Clovis Balleux, Olivier Beausoleil and Danny Kananga, played six games in three days in the land of Uncle Sam.
After shutting out teams from California and Long Island, the Broncos came up against a Texas powerhouse with a 6-0 loss.
“The Texans are strong, but the guys are on a mission,” said assistant coach Éric Bergeron, a few hours before the game in the final.
But before hoping to get their hands on the title, the Broncos had to face the hockey players of Los Angeles and Chicago. Once again, the defense held the fort by allowing only one goal in two games. In the final, the Broncos signed a 3-1 victory over the Texas team.
“What a final! I think it’s the most physical game I’ve coached in my last 15 years, explained head coach Frédéric Dupuis. It was difficult to get up to speed because there were penalties on both sides. Even though the Warriors took the lead on an innocuous play, my guys stayed on the game plan. We were able to tie the game at the end of the second period after being aggressive on a play. We ended the engagement with several sacrifices from the guys who blocked shots.
Accustomed to playing tight games, the Broncos picked up where they left off in the third period.
“I tip my hat to the guys who killed a big penalty early in the period. Afterwards, we were patient. We kept the game tight and it ended up paying off. We caused a turnover and on a throw return, we scored the goal that made the difference,” added the head coach.
The Broncos made sure to leave with the banner of champions by scoring a third goal in an empty net.
Frédéric Dupuis is supported by Éric Bergeron and Matis Bergeron. The former Drummondville Voltigeurs assistant coach, Jonathan Lessard, is responsible for the Broncos program.
The other players on the team come mainly from the region of Saint-Léonard-d’Aston and Trois-Rivières. The Broncos’ elite U15 team lost in the quarter-finals of this tournament.
