WEST CHESTER, Penn. - Two trophies are coming back to Raleigh, as the 18U Junior Hurricanes Black and USPHL Elite Jr. Hurricanes both won their respective championships this weekend.
The 18U Junior Hurricanes Black team defeated the Greenville Rage (SC) in the Tier II 1A 2026 Chipotle-USA Hockey National Championship.
Completing their perfect 5-0 run in the tournament, the group earned victories over the Atlanta Phoenix (GA), Alaska Oilers (AK), Ogden Jr. Mustangs (UT), and Tulsa Jr. Oilers (OK), before taking a 4-2 win over Greenville on Sunday.
Outscoring their opponents 27-8 during their run, forward Oliver Cowan impressed throughout with four goals and nine assists, factoring in on nearly half of his team's production with 13 points. Teammate Cooper MacDonell also had multiple points in every game, finishing with 12.
Goaltender Gavin Lowry was victorious in all four of his starts, including a 14-save shutout in the 7-0 win over Tulsa to help the unit punch their ticket to the championship.
“This win is massive. We have five guys who have been to the nationals three times. It feels good to bring one home for them and the team,” Coach Derek Mazepa told Red Line Editorial post-game. “We have 12 kids that aren’t coming back and may never play again, to send them off like this, there’s honestly no better way.”
To learn more about the team, their journey, and a key source of their inspiration, click here.
Five other Raleigh-area teams competed in their respective national tournaments over the past few days, including the Girls Tier I 14U Junior Canes, Girls Tier I 16U Junior Canes, Girls Tier I 19U Junior Canes, Youth Tier II 14U 2A NC Golden Bears, and the Youth Tier II 16U 2A Raleigh Raptors.
For more information on all national championships, click here.
To learn more about the Junior Hurricanes program, click here.
