The Vernal Oilers have cemented their place atop the USPHL Premier, capturing their second consecutive National Championship with a 6-4 victory over the Fresno Monsters on Sunday at Ice Vault Rink in Wayne, NJ.
With the win, Vernal becomes back-to-back champions, continuing a dominant run that has defined the program over the past two seasons.
In the first period, the Oilers took a 1-0 lead with Jack Treacy scoring at 15:51. In the second period, Vernal kept on the attack scoring three unanswered goals with Maximillian Enge-Kristiansen, Logan Powers, and Roni Alanko for a 4-0 lead. Jonathan Anderson got the Monsters on the scoresheet at 11:20 in the middle frame. Nearing the end of the second, Vernal netted another goal to extend their lead to 5-1 with Hugo Johansson scoring. In the third, the Monsters went on a run to make things interesting. Filipp Papshev, Nils Tunbratt (power-play goal), and Addrian Gomez all scored, making it a 5-4 score. With under a minute remaining, Jack Treacy netted his second of the game to seal the win for Vernal, 6-4.
Vernal outshot Fresno 50-42 in a fast-paced, high-scoring final, showcasing the offensive depth and resilience that powered them through the tournament.
Oilers forward Brayden Boucher was named the USPHL Premier Nationals MVP. Over 5 games at Nationals, Boucher posted 9 points with 6 goals and 3 assists, including four 2 point games.
The Oilers finished the Regular Season with a 42-2 record with 84 points.
The victory marks another milestone for the Oilers, who entered Nationals as defending champions and once again proved they are the team to beat on the biggest stage.