West Hill hosts the 30th annual Shamrock Tournament

The West Hill Golden Hawks shone during the 30th annual round-robin Shamrock Tournament.

They placed second in the minor novice division, barely missing the coveted first position.

The Hawks skated hard and played tough against their rivals, the North York Knights, eventually losing 5-3.

Other Scarborough teams competed, but all failed to qualify for the finals in their divisions.

Traditionally, the Shamrock tournament marks the end of the house league season. With a poor turnout of 10 teams last year, the date was changed to accommodate more teams. This year, 70 teams skated on Scarborough ice to fight for first and to have fun.

“It’s a thrill to see all the kids getting out there and playing,” said Ronald Holmes, a hockey dad. His son, Jacob Holmes, is on the Dundas Peewee Select team that just missed the finals.

The Shamrock tournament has been hosted for the last 30 years to promote friendly competition for all levels of play. With an age range of 5 to 21, children and young adults get on the ice to compete against other travel teams.

Teams from Peterborough, Ottawa, North Bay, Toronto and the GTA all participated in the non-contact, round-robin tournament.

“In the past they’ve come from farther, but [the numbers] have dwindled down over the years,” John Radway said, tournament organizer, to Inside Toronto.

The first weekend of April 2011 is expected to see the 31st incarnation of the tournament, with 100 teams lined up.

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By: Caitlin Stojanovski
Posted: Apr 8 2010 12:40 pm
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