South Alberta Hockey Academy players pose with the CSSHL East-West Challenge banner. (Image Credit: South Alberta Hockey Academy)

By Jesse Gill

Sports

South Alberta Hockey Academy win inaugural CSSHL East-West Challenge in Quebec

Feb 9, 2026 | 8:46 AM

The South Alberta Hockey Academy U18 Prep team has won the inaugural Canadian Sport School Hockey League East-West Challenge with a perfect 5-0 record at the tournament.

Capping things off was a dramatic 2-1 overtime finals win over the Burnaby Winter Club Academy.

After dropping to his knees while driving towards the net, forward Kingston Chisholm took the shot to score the winning goal for SAHA just two minutes and 12 seconds into the extra frame.

Medicine Hat Tigers prospect goaltender Cash Christie stopped 22 of 23 shots in the win.

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Championship game highlight’s courtesy of the CSSHL YouTube

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The Dunmore-based academy competed at the 14-team challenge in Quebec, which featured seven CSSHL teams from Eastern Canada and seven from Western Canada.

SAHA started the tournament on Thursday with a dominant 8-1 win over Okanagan Hockey Ontario, defeating Fort Erie International Academy by the same score on Friday.

The final round robin game on Saturday was a close one against Bourget College, with SAHA coming out on top 4-3.

A semi-final matchup against Okanagan Hockey Academy early Sunday was won by SAHA 5-3, setting up the final match-up with BWC Academy, who had defeated Edge School 7-4 in the other semi-final matchup.

The final four of the tournament were all teams from the CSSHL’s West, who dominated with 18 wins to the East’s three over 21 round-robin games.

Medicine Hat’s Chisholm sat third in tournament points with 10 over five games, including three goals.

He was followed closely by a pair of SAHA players from Lethbridge, Damen Vanderberg, who sat fourth with nine points, and Kutcher Aquila, who had eight points to sit ninth in tournament scoring.

Christie had the third-best goals against average and save percentage through the challenge, with fellow SAHA goaltender Hunter Zawislak right behind him in a three-way tie for fourth in goals against, and 10th in save percentage.

SAHA entered the tournament as the second-seed in the West.

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READ: South Alberta Hockey Academy starts CSSHL East West Challenge on Thursday