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SASKATOON - Nathan MacKinnon says he may never score a bigger goal. Bold words for a player with a bright NHL future, but fans of the Halifax Mooseheads would probably agree. MacKinnon had a hat trick, including a title-clinching goal into an empty net, and Jonathan Drouin had a sublime five-assist performance as Halifax held off a late Portland rally to defeat the Winterhawks 6-4 in the final of the MasterCard Memorial Cup. Leading 5-2 with under six minutes to go, the Mooseheads watched as Portland cut it to 5-4 with 1:14 left. Thats when MacKinnon, a 17-year-old with maturity beyond his years, scored into an empty net to send Halifax to its first Canadian Hockey League title. "I might not score a bigger goal in my life," said MacKinnon, who added two assists and was named tournaments most valuable player after scoring a tournament-best seven goals and six assists in four games. "Its just ... 22 seconds left. We won it. Were champions. "The empty netter will be in my mind forever." After the game, players mingled with family on the ice as a small but vocal group of travelling Mooseheads fans chanted, cheered and banged on the glass in the near-empty Credit Union Centre. "Its unbelievable. I grew up in Halifax. Ive watched this team go through hard times and good times," MacKinnon added. "After that second period there was a little doubt creeping into our mind but at the same time we had a pretty solid third period. They made it close again but its all worth it." Konrad Abeltshauser added two goals and an assist, while Martin Frk had a goal and two assists for Halifax, which got 40 saves from Zachary Fucale as a team from the QMJHL won the Memorial Cup for the third straight year. "Right now theres so much going through my mind," Fucale said. "Its that feeling you cant describe. "It felt like the longest game ever but now it seems as if it went so fast, as if the past two years just flew by. This feels as if its not even real. This is crazy." Mooseheads coach Dominique Ducharme said his best players excel when the games mean the most. "Nathan, Jonathan and Fucale ... those guys, they like big moments," he said. "They like playing in big games and they want to be difference makers and tonight they were. "Those guys like facing big teams and big moments and big challenges. Tonight they just showed that theyre big-time players." Ty Rattie had a goal and three assists, while Nicolas Petan added a goal and two assists for the Winterhawks. Seth Jones and Brendan Leipsic also scored for Portland, while Mac Carruth made 35 stops for the Western Hockey League champions. "Its not kind of disappointing, its very disappointing," said Winterhawks coach Travis Green, whose team was down 3-0 after the first period. "I thought we showed a lot of heart coming back. We made a late push but it wasnt enough." Leading 3-2 in the third, MacKinnon gave his team some breathing room at 7:36 with his tournament-leading sixth goal by chipping a puck past a fallen Carruth. Abeltshauser then followed up on a MacKinnon rush to bury a rebound at 11:11 to make it 5-2. Leipsic got one back for Portland at 14:32 and Rattie scored with 1:14 left to cut the deficit to one, but MacKinnon iced the game with 22.4 seconds remaining before the Mooseheads spilled onto to the ice to celebrate at the final buzzer. "Its probably the greatest game Ive ever played. Its just the greatest moment," Drouin said. "Its unbelievable. Winning the Memorial Cup with this group of guys is remarkable. "Well remember this game for probably the rest of our lives." Down 3-0 after a disastrous first period, the Winterhawks came out with renewed vigour in the second, outshooting the Mooseheads 18-6 and scoring twice. Portland got its first while killing a penalty when Rattie jumped on a Halifax turnover in the Mooseheads end and fed Petan, who beat Fucale with a backhand move at 10:36. The Winterhawks, who won the WHL title despite the season-long suspension of coach and general manager Mike Johnston for transgressions that included financial perks for players and their families, looked to have cut the deficit to one later in the period, but after a video review it was judged Rattie directed the puck into the net with his glove. No review would be needed a few minutes later with the teams playing 4-on-4 when Jones, a defenceman who is the No. 1 ranked North American skater according to NHL Central Scouting ahead of Junes draft, roofed a shot on Fucale from in tight with 1:19 left in the period. The Mooseheads, who lost just six games in the regular season and once in the playoffs as the CHLs top-ranked team before earning a bye right to the final of this tournament, were a step ahead in the first period. "They came out hard," Rattie said. "We stuck together like we have all year. We came out in the second period, third period and played our game." After Stephen MacAulay, Frk and MacKinnon couldnt connect for Halifax on three glorious chances in front of Carruth, Abeltshauser got Halifax on the board at 6:31. The overage German defenceman, playing his final game for the Mooseheads, ripped a one-timer off a feed from Drouin from the point past a screened Carruth up high on the power play. MacKinnon, who is second on the NHLs Central Scouting list behind Jones and also had a hat trick and an assist in Halifaxs 7-4 victory over Portland in the round robin, made it 2-0 just 89 seconds later, snapping a quick shot past Carruth from the slot. The Mooseheads stretched their lead to three at 15:59 on a rocket of a one-timer from Frk off another feed from Drouin that beat a helpless Carruth upstairs. Drouin, who was named CHL player of the year on Saturday, is ranked No. 3 behind Jones and MacKinnon ahead of the draft. Carruth, an emotional goalie who wears his heart on his sleeve, kept the score at 3-0 in the final minute of the period with two big saves, but Portland still found itself in a big hole before rallying in the second. "We werent sharp," Winterhawks defenceman Derrick Pouliot said. "It took us a period to wake up and by then it was real tough to come back." Meanwhile, the Mooseheads are looking forward to sharing their first championship with their fans back home. "Im proud of everyone and so happy for the people of Halifax who supported the organization for so long," Ducharme said. "This year was just incredible and to come back to Halifax with that trophy and share it with them is going to great." Notes: Fucale, Pouliot, Abeltshauser, MacKinnon, Frk and Rattie were named to the tournament all-star team. Saskatoon Blades goalie Andrey Makarov was named the top goalie, while London Knights centre Bo Horvat won the sportsmanship award. ... Saint John won the Memorial Cup in 2011, while Shawinigan took the title last year. ... Carruth allowed all seven Halifax goals on 35 shots in Portlands loss to Halifax in the round robin. ... Former Toronto Maple Leafs captain and Saskatoon Blades alumni Wendel Clark dropped the puck at the ceremonial faceoff. ... Portland won the Memorial Cup in 1983 and 1998. ... Attendance at the Credit Union Centre was 11,488. Ronnie Lott Super Bowl Jersey . 8 Kansas to a 64-63 win over Texas Tech on Tuesday night. The freshman from Vaughan, Ont. Y.A. Tittle Super Bowl Jersey . -- Yogi Ferrell orchestrates pretty much everything in Indianas offence. http://www.authenticsf49erspro.com/Laken-tomlinson-49ers-jersey/ . -- Jacksonville wide receiver Cecil Shorts will likely be a game-time decision whether hell play Sunday in the Jaguars home game against the San Diego Chargers. Jerick McKinnon Super Bowl Jersey . The 43-year-old closer, in his 19th and final big league season, has said hed like to play the outfield. Yankees manager Joe Girardi says hes thinking about allowing Rivera to do it this weekend, when the Yankees finish their season with a three-game series at the Houston Astros. 49ers Super Bowl Jerseys . No. 13-seeded John Isner and No. 21 Philipp Kohlschreiber were among six players who dropped out of the tournament on Tuesday, joining No. 12 seed Tommy Haas and two other players who withdrew on Monday. BLACKSBURG, Va. -- BLACKSBURG, Va. -- When asked to give an assessment of his hot shooting Tuesday night, Ahmed Hill described a feeling that every basketball player desires.I didnt really have to aim, Hill said.Hill scored a career-high 20 points to lead Virginia Tech to a 99-73 victory over High Point.Hill missed last season with a knee injury, but in the second game of his return, he hit 7 of 12 from the floor and connected on a career-high six 3-pointers for the Hokies (2-0), who never trailed and hit 12 3-pointers. Seth Allen added 17 points.Andre Fox paced High Point (1-1) with a career-high 23 points.Virginia Tech blitzed the Panthers right from the opening tip. The Hokies made 14 of their first 15 shots, including six 3-pointers in racing to a 24-point lead less than nine minutes into the game. Hill hit half of his 3-pointers in that stretch.I dont know that I could have necessarily predicted his field-goal percentage and things of that nature, Virginia Tech coach Buzz Williams said of Hill, who is shooting 52.9 percent (9 of 17) from beyond the 3-point arc this season. He holds himself to an incredibly high standard, and his work ethic is superb.High Point had no answer for the Hokies on the perimeter, as Hill and Allen combined for 25 of the Hokies 60 first-half points. Virginia Tech shot 71.9 percent (23 of 32) in the first half and hit eight 3s. The Hokies shot 56.1 percent for the game (37 of 66).We had a game plan, but we didnt execute it very well, High Point coach Scott Cherry said. We had to help too much and gave them good looks. They had wide-open ones. Give them a lot of credit. They made them.BIG PICTUREHigh Point: The Panthers will need better games from Anthonyy Lindauer -- one of just three seniors on the roster.dddddddddddd He scored just four points after scoring 16 in the season opener for a High Point team that features seven newcomers.Virginia Tech: With Kerry Blackshear Jr. sidelined with a lower leg injury, the Hokies are searching for help in the post, and freshman Khadim Sy may be the answer. Sy scored 14 points and grabbed six rebounds.MORE ON HILLS BIG NIGHTHill was a 3-pointer away from tying the single-game school record held by teammate Justin Bibbs. He also set career highs in field goals made and 3-pointers attempted.I was comfortable coming into the season, but Im still shocked that Im playing this way, he said.MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTIONThe Hokies are preparing for a 10-day trip to the West Coast that has them playing three games in the Wooden Legacy tournament in California and then a game in Michigan as part of the ACC-Big Ten Challenge. After a somewhat lackluster performance in the opener, Virginia Tech took a step forward, according to Williams, whose team leaves Monday.I didnt think we were bad in game 1, but I thought we were trying to justify too much of our inadequacies and playing it on, `Well, it was game 1, he said. We need to hurry up . and take the next step. I thought, for sure, we did that.UP NEXTHigh Point returns home to play in the High Point University Classic. The Panthers play three games in three days, starting with UNC Greensboro on Friday.Virginia Tech will be looking to go 3-0 to open the season for the first time since 2012 when it takes on VMI at home on Saturday. ' ' '