For the Reporter

Three Auburn Mountainview students were a part of the Sno-King Junior Thunderbirds 14U A1 team that captured the USA Hockey National Tier II 14U Championship in Charlotte, N.C., on Monday.

The trio – Dylan Herzog, Nate Konovalov and captain Landen Shaw – and their teammates were the first squad from Washington to earn the honor in over two decades and only the fifth in state history.

The Thunderbirds took the championship game 9-0 against the Wonderland Wizards from Connecticut. It was the Thunderbirds’ third shutout of the tournament.

The team included Matthew Butson, Alonzo Colburn, Dexter Corley, Nicolas Devita, Cole Dubicki, Ben Fehr, Benjamin Fredell, Rafael Osuna, Caden Pattison, Eric Prigodich, JT Rimorin, Austin Schwab, Miles Seguin and Tonghuan Yang.

Sno-King 14U A1 is coached by Lloyd Shaw of Auburn and Corey Schwab of Maltby, both of whom have previous professional hockey experience, playing with the Seattle Thunderbirds and then onto professional careers.

Another Auburn Mountainview student, Brayden Shaw, and the 17U A1 team competed in the USA Hockey National Tier II 18U Championships in Buffalo over the same weekend. The Thunderbirds headed into the quarterfinals undefeated but bowed out with a hard-fought loss to the Maine Moose.

The Sno-King teams will be honored during intermission at Sunday’s Seattle Thunderbirds-Everett Silvertips WHL playoff game.

Sno-King Amateur Hockey Association is a nonprofit organization established in 1964. SKAHA serves more than 1,200 youth hockey players per year.

SKAHA practices and play at Sno-King Ice Arenas, also a nonprofit organization, with locations in Kirkland and Renton. Sno-King Ice Arenas provide opportunities for ice skating sports for all ages and abilities.