The Littleton Hawks 12U AA team did more than just represent the state as the Colorado Junior Avs at the 2022 Quebec Peewee International tournament. They returned as champions.

Blake Kawasaki tallied three goals and Colton Lien had four points (2 goals, 2 assists) to help the Junior Avs rally for a 7-5 victory over Charlevoix Rorquals and secure the AA Division title at the Videotron Center in Quebec on Sunday, May 8. The title is the first in the division for a Colorado team.

A first-period goal from Kawasaki and an early second-period score from Matthew Strawn gave the Avs a 2-0 lead. Charlevoix Rorquals, however, responded with four unanswered goals — three in the middle period and the fourth early in the third period — to capture the momentum. 

Kawasaki and Lien made sure Charlevoix Rorquals had it only for a short time. Kawasaki notched his second goal of the game, this one off an assist from Lien, and two goals from Lien sandwiched around another Charlevoix Rorquals goal in a six-minute span helped the Avs event the score at 5. 

Approximately 90 seconds later, Ari Gelfand and Trey Packard then set up Mason Hurt for the eventual game-winning goal. Kawasaki recorded his hat trick with an insurance goal near the end of the final period.

The Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament is considered one of the world's most prestigious youth hockey tournament. The 2022 event brings 144 teams from around the globe to compete for a title at the Videotron Center and the Pavillon de la Jeunesse in Quebec, Canada April 29-May 9.

See more photos from the championship game here.

Click here to read postcards the team wrote while at the event.

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