Gold medal contests highlight 1998 USA Hockey InLine National College & High School Championships. CORONA, Calif. (April 26, 1998) Grossmont (Calif.) Community College and Murray (Utah) High School earned gold medals in two very different yet equally thrilling ways today at the 1998 USA Hockey InLine National College & High School Championships in Corona, Calif. The championship games in the College Club and High School Club Divisions concluded the tournament, which was held April 22-26 at the In-Line Sports Center by USA Hockey InLine, the official in-line hockey program of USA Hockey. Grossmont's Chris Esperanza tallied a goal with :28 remaining in regulation to edge the University of California-Davis, 2-1, and capture the National Championship. Esperanza had already scored the Griffins' only other goal with 3:38 left in the first half to give his team a 1-0 advantage. UC-Davis tied the score at 1-1 on a goal by Nathan Clookie at 2:12 in the second half. Grossmont outshot UC-Davis, 23-21, in the tightly contested matchup. Earlier in the day Grossmont advanced from the semifinal round by defeating Palomar (Calif.) Community College, 7-1. UC-Davis goaltender Ryan Kirkman earned a shutout as the Aggies downed Colorado State, 5-0, to earn a berth in the championship game. In five games, Kirkman turned in a sparkling 1.20 goals-against average to capture all-tournament honors. In stark contrast to the College Club Division title game, Murray used a high-powered offensive attack to rout the San Diego Scripps Ranch Falcons, 12-1, for the High School Club Division National Championship. For the Spartans, Seth Miller registered five goals (including a natural hat trick in the second half) and two assists for a total of seven points. Andy VanWagoner notched five points on three goals and two assists, while Travis Larsen and Nick Furness each added two goals and an assist. Murray goaltender Patrick Spencer stopped 24 shots for the win. David Brassfield acounted for the Aggies' only scoring on an unassisted goal at the 11:40 mark of the second half. Murray moved into the gold-medal game following an 8-5 victory against the Diamond Bar (Calif.) Brahmas and a 12-1 win against the Ayala (Calif.) Bulldogs. San Diego Scripps Ranch downed the Poway (Calif.) Titans, 8-4, and the Covina Colts, 6-5, to claim a spot in the championship game. The tournament, the nation's first of its kind, was designed to provide national-level playing opportunities specifically for high school club and college club in-line hockey players. 1998 USA Hockey InLine National College & High School Championships April 26 Results College Club Division:
Semifinal Round
Grossmont (Calif.) Community College 7, Palomar (Calif.) Community College 1
University of California-Davis 5, Colorado State University 0
Championship Game
Grossmont (Calif.) Community College 2, University of California-Davis 1
High School Club Division:
Quarterfinal Round
Ayala Bulldogs 4, San Marcos Knights 3
San Diego Scripps Ranch Falcons 8, Poway Titans 4
Murray (Utah) Spartans 8, Diamond Bar Brahmas 5
Covina Colts 6, Apple Valley Hockey Team 2
Semifinal Round
Murray (Utah) Spartans 12, Ayala Bulldogs 1
San Diego Scripps Ranch Falcons 6, Covina Colts 5
Championship Game
Murray (Utah) Spartans 12, San Diego Scripps Ranch Falcons 1
* All high school club teams, unless otherwise noted, are from California. College Club Division All-Tournament Team:
Chris Esperanza, Grossmont (Calif.) Community College
Jeff Hone, Colorado State Univ.
John Kennedy, Grossmont (Calif.) Community College
Ian Streigler, Univ. of California-Davis
Goaltender: Ryan Kirkman, Univ. of California-Davis
High School Club Division All-Tournament Team:
Brian Comrie, San Diego Scripps Ranch Falcons
Seth Miller, Murray (Utah) Spartans
Mark Sheldahl, Covina Colts
Jason Woods, Diamond Bar Brahmas
Goaltender: Patrick Spencer, Murray (Utah) Spartans
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