NELSON SHUTS DOOR AS HUMBOLDT CLAIMS 2008 RBC CUP

CORNWALL, Ont. – Edward Gale scored the game’s lone goal late in the first period and Taylor Nelson made it stand up as the winner with a 30-save shutout performance as the Humboldt Broncos claimed the 2008 RBC Cup with a 1-0 win over the Camrose Kodiaks on Sunday night.

The win came five years to the day – May 11, 2003 – that the Broncos won their first national championship, beating, ironically, the Kodiaks, 3-1 in Charlottetown, P.E.I.

With the Broncos on a power play nearing the 17-minute mark of the opening period, Gale stepped out of the corner and snuck a shot past Camrose goaltender Allen York – who was named the tournament’s Top Goaltender for the second straight year at Friday night’s awards banquet.

The goaltenders took over following Gale’s goal, as York and Nelson combined to turn aside all 38 shots they faced over the final 40 minutes in a classic duel of elite goaltenders.

Not surprisingly, Nelson was named Player of the Game for the Broncos, while Camrose defenseman Dean Petiot took home the honour for the Kodiaks.

The Kodiaks lost the championship game for the third time in five trips to the tournament – after winning their first, and only, national championship in their first trip, in 2001, the Kodiaks lost to Humboldt in 2003 and Weyburn in 2005 in the final.

Despite the loss, the Kodiaks set a RBC Cup record (since 1996) by allowing just five goals in their six games, breaking the mark of seven set by the 1997 South Surrey Eagles. York finished with a remarkable 0.80 goals against average, not allowing more than one goal in any of his five appearances.