University of Regina Cougars recruit Merik Boles had a pair of secondary assists and Southey product Jase Konescni had one of his own as the Niverville Nighthawks beat the host Summerside Capitals 4-1 to win the national junior A hockey championship Sunday in Prince Edward Island.
Boles, who finished second on the Manitoba Junior Hockey League champions in regular season scoring, assisted on a Hayden Wheddon goal with 8:07 to play in the first period to give Niverville a 1-0 lead.
With the game tied 1-1 after one period, the 21-year-old forward helped set up another Wheddon goal near the midway mark of the second to give the Nighthawks the lead for good.
Niverville added to its lead just over five minutes into the third period with Konescni picking up a helper on a Marlen Edwards goal, and added an empty-netter to cap the Centennial Cup championship game victory.
Along the way, the Nighthawks also had to kill off a third-period tripping penalty that was assessed to former Kindersley Klippers defenceman Thomas Phillips.
Boles, who is committed to the University of Regina Cougars for the 2026-27 season, finished the tournament with two goals and six assists for eight points as Niverville ran undefeated through its six games in Summerside.
Phillips and former Regina Pats defenceman Aaron Krestanowich each had four assists at the Centennial Cup, while Konecsni had three, and former La Ronge Ice Wolves defenceman Parker Carrier had one helper.
Backup goalie Ben Chornomydz, who played one year of under-16 prep and one year of U18 prep with the Notre Dame Hounds program in Wilcox, started one game for Niverville, allowing six goals in the team’s 7-6 win over the Rockland Nationals on May 13.
