Home crowd in Littleton boosts Hawks to 14U Tier II 3A national championship in overtime thriller

BY MATT MEYER USA HOCKEY

Each time the Littleton Hawks lit the lamp April 3 against the Cheektowaga Warriors, the walls inside the Edge Ice Arena rattled.

It took until deep into the overtime period at the 2023 Chipotle-USA Hockey Youth Tier II 14U National Championships, but the Hawks harnessed that home-ice energy to secure a 4-3 victory to win the 3A title.

A mad scramble in front of the net saw Colton Lien connect with the loose puck, hammering it home to kick off the celebration and complete his hat trick.

“Winning in front of the home crowd and getting lucky enough to host nationals here, it’s one of the best feelings I’ve ever had,” Lien said. “I don’t have words for it. It’s really hard to describe.”

It was the Warriors who got on the board first, with Cole Miller scoring on a power play at 6:27 remaining in the opening period.

Miller buried another goal during the first minute of the second period, this one at even strength, to put the Hawks in a 2-0 hole.

Littleton threw a counterpunch quickly. Going on a power play just one minute after the two-goal deficit, Lien peppered the Warriors’ defense and scored unassisted.

Ten minutes later, Lien netted his second goal when he was set up by Connor Makowski.

Tied at 2-2, the energy in the Hawks’ barn intensified, reaching a

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