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THAI-WORLD HOCKEY LEAGUE
Coyotes capture TWHL championship
by: Robert Kennedy
Samrong _ The Curve Coyotes captured the Thai-World Hockey League championship Sunday after fighting back from a two-goal deficit to defeat the BNH Hospital Blades 4-3.
Thai pivot Tawin Chartsuwan was the hero, leading the Coyotes with a hat-trick and an assist, while the steady netminding of Brian Prestia kept the Blades big guns in check as they made a late-game push for the equalizer.
The Coyotes won game one of the series Saturday night 3-2 in another hard-fought battle on goals by Walter Konrad, Norman Schwagler, and Chantapong Tengsakul.
It was second TWHL championship in three years for the 'Yotes.
Curve captain Scott Murray relished his team’s role as the underdog against the powerhouse Blades. "They were beaten only once all year and they had the best players in the league. But our team just gelled at the right time, we had a system in place, we got great goaltending and our Thai players were incredible, especially Tawin Chartsuwan, who had the game of his life."
The Blades high-octane offence kicked into gear early as Joe Doan took a feed from Todd Switzer and trickled a shot through Prestia’s five-hole. Jouni Saarteinen one-timed a perfect pass from captain Reine Rauhala into a yawning cage.
But the Coyotes replied with four unanswered tallies. Tawin corralled a perfect feed at center ice from Scott Whitcomb, skated in alone, and sniped the top corner. On a powerplay, punishing blue liner Spencer Fowler blasted a point shot that was deflected in by Chantapong.
The Blades turned it on in the late going as Doan scored his second, but the Coyotes held on for the victory.
The Pelican Flyers defeated the Woodstock Bar & Grill Blues 6-5 in the battle for third place.
The TWHL’s sixth season kicks off in September. The inaugural City of Angeles Cup , featuring teams from Hong Kong and Macau , runs this Thursday to Saturday. www.leaguelineup.com/twhl
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