Joey Benik of St. Francis had a hat trick and Steve Fogarty of Edina scored two power-play goals as the Penticton Vees beat the visiting Brooks Bandits 6-2 to win the Doyle Cup. The Vees won the best-of-seven games series 4-1.
The victory puts the Vees in the Royal Bank Cup, a five-team tournament in Humboldt, Sask., which will decide the Junior A champion in Canada.
Two of the other top forwards for the Vees are Mario Lucia, the son of Gophers coach Don Lucia, and Ryan Reilly of Chanhassen. The team's top defenseman is Mike Reilly, Ryan's younger brother.
Both Reillys and their brother Connor, sitting out because of knee surgery near the end of the regular season, will play for the Gophers next season.
The RBC Cup runs from May 5-13. In the field already are the Vees, representing the Pacific region of the country, the host Humboldt Broncos and the Portage Terriers (West) and the Soo Thunderbirds (Central). The East team will be decided Sunday.
The Woodbury Slammers, 3-0 in the five-team Fred Page Cup, are in the title game, waiting to see who will play them.
The Vees were the No. 1 rated team in the final national ratings in Canada and so will be the RBC Cup favorites.
Here is the RBC Cup schedule:
