The Armstrong Arrows doubled their pleasure recently.

The Arrows' PeeWee and Squirt A Major ice hockey teams both participated in the Butler Valley Dawgs Fall Blast Tournament, held at Valencia's Ice Connection in October.

Both teams, which include players from Butler County, came away with a tournament championship.

The PeeWee team, consisting of 11- and 12-year-old players, went a perfect 4-0 at the tournament. It outscored its opponents 20-6 in claiming the championship. The final victory was a 5-3 decision over the Pittsburgh Predators.

"The team had a very dominating performance," said assistant coach Vic Whann. "These tournaments are run a bit differently. You are awarded one point for every period you win and two points for every game you win. After the preliminary games, the two teams with the most points play in the championship.

"Out of a possible 15 points, we ended up with 13 and a half heading into the final game."

Whann said his the victories came because the teams employed a balanced attack.

"We received great goaltending and defensive play," he said. "But you also have to score goals to win."

The Squirt team, made up of 9- and 10-year olds, started the tournament with a loss. Then the squad reeled off three consecutive wins, the final one being a 5-2 victory against the Delmont-based Allegheny Badgers to win the title.

"This team learned a valuable lesson," said Squirt coach Bernie Marrese. "It learned that through hard work and determination, you can win a game after being down. We were down a few times in the tournament and the kids came back. It was all about perseverance.

"It's a terrific team and we're very proud of the kids."

The Armstrong Arrows are based in Kittanning and play their home homes at Belmont Arena.

Both teams are now in the midst of their regular season schedules. The PeeWee A Major team is currently 4-2-1 while the Squirt A Majors are 5-0.

They are part of the Pittsburgh Amateur Hockey League.

The Armstrong Arrows include five different age divisions, from Mite (8 year olds) to Midget (15 and 16).

The season begins in September ends in March.

"It's soon after that when we hold tryouts for the next season," Whann said. "We'd rather do it then than have the kids come back after a summer of not skating. We want to evaluate the kids when they are at the top of their game."

Many Butler County players have contributed to Arrows teams over the years.

"We've gotten a lot of Butler kids who have come out and who have decided to stick with us," said Marrese. "And we're grateful for that. Butler County has given us some very good players.

"And we owe a lot to the assistant coaches," Marrese added. "They're very knowledgeable about the game.

Those serving as assistants this year include Terry Davis and Mark Valasek. Larry Langham was the team manager.

Mark Valasek coached the Pee Wee A Major team. Jerry Oliver and Vic Whann were his assistants. Keith Smouse served as the team's manager.

Following are members of the Armstrong Arrows Pee Wee and Squirt A Major ice hockey teams, both winning their respective divisions at the Butler Valley Dawgs Tournament in October.<B>PeeWee A Major</B>Cody Bachman, Corey Chuba, Ian Cole, Ethan Eisenbrandt, Jordan Ford, Shayne Hennessy, Cody Lee, Dominic Oliver, Brad Peltz, Zac Stennett, Ryan Toy, Kevin Valasek and Jake Whann.<B>Squirt A Major</B>Clay Bachman, Conner Blose, Tanner Chuba, Evan Cravener, Dustin Davis, Troy Double, Michael Kelly, Cameron Langham, Dimitri Marrese, Christian Miller, Julian Mundy, John Phelps, Solomon Reed, Cameron Salander, Cody Toy, Jesse Valasek and Nick Whann.