Jansen Harkins collected five points and Brad Morrison added three as Team B.C. captured the gold medal with a 9-3 win Sunday over Team Alberta at the 2012 Western Canada under-16 Challenge Cup in Calgary.
The two Prince George Cougars prospects, drafted second and seventh overall, respectively, in the 2012 WHL bantam draft helped topple the two-time defending champs from Alberta at Father David Bauer arena. Harkins had four goals - three in the opening period - and a helper, while Morrison added two goals and an assist.
Both Cougars' prospects are suiting up in the B.C. Major Midget League for their 15-year-old seasons, Harkins with the Vancouver NW Giants and Morrison with the Cariboo Cougars. Morrison wasn't the only member of the MML Cougars with Team B.C. as Cariboo's head coach Trevor Sprague was an assistant coach with the provincial team at the tournament.
Team B.C. was undefeated with a 4-0 record.
In the bronze-medal game Team Saskatchewan edged Team Manitoba 2-1.
In addition to Harkins and Morrison, there were four other WHL Cougar prospects competing in the tournament, three with Saskatchewan - defencemen Tate Olsen (2nd round) and Shane Collins (3rd round) and goalie Matt Kustra (8th round) - and Aaron Boyd (2nd round) with Manitoba.
There were three Alberta players, two from B.C. and one from Saskatchewan named to the all-star team. Alberta's Zachary Sawchenko picked up the nod in for top goaltender. The Calgary native was a second round 2012 pick of the Moose Jaw Warriors. On defence West Kelowna native Chaz Reddekopp, a first round 2012 pick of the Victoria Royals, received one nod while Ethan Bear of Ochapowace, Sask., and a second round pick of the Seattle Thunderbirds received the other.
The three forwards named as all-stars were: Braylon Shmyr, a Calgary native and first round pick of the Brandon Wheat Kings, Nick Merkley, also from Calgary and a first round pick of the Kelowna Rockets and Matthew Barzal, a Coquitlam native and the first overall pick of the Thunderbirds.
