A strong Southern influence powered the New Zealand Under-18 team to a world title in Mexico at the weekend.
The Junior Ice Blacks won group B of the third division world championships by winning all four of their games.
It came down to a clash of the unbeaten teams on the final night, with New Zealand beating host side Mexico 5-4 to earn promotion to the second division.
The Mexicans raced to a 3-0 lead at the end of the first period, before Connor Harrison (Southern) and Remy Sandoy (Auckland) scored in the second.
Mexico led 4-2 with 20 minutes to play before a stunning New Zealand comeback inspired by Gareth Lloyd (Southern), who scored twice, and another Harrison goal.
Harrison (16) and Lloyd (17) were both part of the Queenstown-based Southern Stampede last year and are part of a bright new generation of New Zealand ice hockey.
The pair dominated the Junior Ice Blacks' statistics at the tournament, with Lloyd scoring 14 points (10 goals, four assists) and Harrison contributing 12 (seven goals and five assists).
Harrison was named the best forward at the tournament.
Another key player in the New Zealand side was Southern Stampede forward Luke Pickering, who scored three goals and had a team-high six assists.
Other Stampede players in the New Zealand side were goaltender Aston Brookes, Dane Dunlop and Nicholas Gloag.
Also featuring were Dale Bailey (Dunstan High School), Quinn Drake (Queenstown), Regan Wilson (Kings High School) and Tom Wilson (Dunedin Thunder).
Southern ice hockey stalwarts Stacey Rout (assistant coach) and Graeme Glass (team leader) accompanied the squad.
In earlier games, the Junior Ice Blacks had wins against South Africa (5-2), Israel (9-8) and Ireland (7-2).
Their success continues a fine period for New Zealand ice hockey.
The Ice Blacks beat Australia for the first time during the Winter Games in Dunedin in August, having earlier won the world third division championships in Dunedin.
New Zealand plays in the world second division championships in Estonia next month
