Bayliss Brothers, Bruins Thrill in Gib Kittredge Finals
PITTSFIELD, Mass. – On the Golden Anniversary of the Gib Kittredge Tournament, the Bayliss brothers were as good as gold.
Charles Bayliss scored in overtime to give the Berkshire Bruins a 5-4 win and a squirt division championship.
Everett Bayliss scored with 16 seconds left in overtime to give the Bruins a 3-2 win and a title in the bantam division.
It was a successful day for Berkshire County’s travel programs, which sent five teams to championship games in four age groups and snagged three banners with the Berkshire Rattlers claiming first in the peewee B division.
Everett Bayliss’ goal completed a two-goal comeback for the Bruins against their local rivals, the Northern Berkshire Black Bears.
“It was just hard work and grinding,” he said. “We’ve never really been the prettiest of teams, so it came down to hard work and work ethic.
“It was nerve-wracking [trailing 2-0] because it’s our last time in this tournament and playing in this rink for the season. So this game really meant a lot.”
Earlier in the day, Everett watched his little brother score all five goals for the Bruins’ squirts, who trailed, 3-1, in the second period and 4-3 with four minutes left in the third.
“He’s a speed demon out there,” coach Trevor Bayliss said of Charles. “He’s got the spark that really ignites us.
“He also happens to be my son, so I’m a little biased. But he’s quite a little player.”
Peewee B Final
Berkshire Rattlers 4, Saratoga Springs, N.Y., Blue Knights 2
The first of four barn-burners in the 50th annual Gib Kittredge Tourney was a back-and-forth affair.
After Saratoga opened the scoring in the fifth minute, the South County-based Rattlers struck when Kasen Raifstanger converted assists from Logan Miller and Luca Bascetta less than a minute later.
Luke Naventi then gave Berkshire a 2-1 lead with a goal late in the first period, and that is where it stood going into the third.
Saratoga tied the score early in the third period, and the Rattlers fended off two power-play chances before Naventi scored again, this time on a breakaway with less than two minutes to play.
Naventi converted a Carson Riva assist to complete his hat trick with an empty-net goal to provide the final margin.
Benjamin Fiorillo and Jackson Arp split time in the Rattlers’ goal, combining for 11 saves.
Squirt B Final
Berkshire Bruins 5, Bethlehem, N.Y., Eagles 4
The Bruins trailed by scores of 1-0, 3-1 and 4-3 before taking their only lead on the game’s last play.
“Just an incredible group of kids,” Trevor Bayliss said. “All season long, they’ve supported each other. We’ve had some tough losses, and they just bounce back. They’re resilient.
“Each time they got down, they’d pick themselves up, say, ‘Keep at it.’ And I couldn’t be more proud. Just a really nice group of kids.”
Charles Bayliss’ first goal came on the rebound of an Ethan Robbins shot to tie it, 1-1, midway through the first period.
The Eagles answered with a goal in the last three minutes of the first and the last four minutes of the second to go up by two goals going to the third.
Bayliss scored a pair of goals to open the third period, the second off a centering pass from Robbins to tie it, 3-3.
Bethlehem scored short-handed with just less than four minutes left in regulation, but Bayliss answered less than a minute later to make it 4-4.
In the final minute of OT, William Antil gained the puck at center ice and carried it through traffic into the attacking zone before finding Bayliss on his right. Bayliss beat the keeper on the short side to end the game and ignite the Bruins’ celebration.
Angelo Carpenter made 14 saves, including two in overtime, to backstop Berkshire to the championship win.
Peewee A Final
Saugerties, N.Y., Mustangs 5, Berkshire Bruins 4
Things did not start out great for the host program’s second finalist of the day as Saugerties jumped out to a 4-0 lead on Michael Gramoglia’s second goal of the game early in the second period.
Ben Sykes got the Bruins on the board six minutes into the second, but the Mustangs answered right away to extend their margin back to four goals.
Evan Macy then scored the fourth goal of the period, and the Bruins went to the third trailing, 5-2.
Christian Barry scored with just less than five minutes to play and again two minutes later, but even with keeper J.J. Schneider (25 saves) out of the net in the final minute, the Bruins could not get the equalizer.
Bantam Final
Berkshire Bruins 3, Northern Berkshire Black Bears 2
An epic goalie duel came down to the final minute and a dramatic final goal of the tournament.
Berkshire’s Connor McLeod ended up the winner after stopping 21 shots, including 12 in the first period alone.
William Braman of Northern Berkshire made 25 saves, including 10 in the third period.
It was a scoreless game until midway through the second period, when the Black Bears’ Ethan Wilson finally lit the lamp.
About a minute later, Northern Berkshire struck again. This time it was Brenna Vallieres to give the visitors a 2-0 lead.
In the final minute of the third, Everett Bayliss played a rebound to Zackary Schneider on the doorstep, and Schneider finished to get the Bruins within a goal heading to the third.
In an eventful third period, the teams combined for five penalties and five of the game’s eight power-play opportunities.
Northern Berkshire had to kill off 35 seconds of 5-on-3 time midway through the period, including a perilous moment when a Black Bears player had trouble getting to his feet deep in the offensive zone and the Bruins briefly had a 5-on-2.
But the only special teams goal was a short-handed tally by Berkshire’s Leif Johnson with less than two minutes left to tie it.
With time winding down and overtime looming, Bayliss got a turnover at his own blue line and raced the other way to score the game-winner.
“I was mostly afraid of missing the net,” he said. “I knew where to put it because I’ve been watching the goalie, and we’ve been playing their teams for a while. It just came down to that last second.”
Photos from these games to come.
