POWASSAN, Ont. – The Thunder Bay under-18 Kings wrapped up their initial week of Great North U18 Hockey League play Sunday falling 5-4 in overtime to the North Bay Trappers U16 squad at the Powassan Sportsplex to conclude a four-game slate with a record of 2-1-0-1.
Beginning Thursday at the New Liskeard Cubs, the Kings carried a 1-0 lead into the third period on a Mikita Dolmat marker in the opening frame, but the Cubs answered with a trio of tallies late, including a pair off the stick of Nate Gervais, to pull out a 3-1 triumph.
Suffering the setback in net for Thunder Bay was Nolan Meadows.
Back at it in New Liskeard Friday, the squad banged in three quick goals to send them on their way to an 8-4 win.
Michael Figliomeni; Nathan Vita; Jackson Walker; Ben Paddington; Kolton Anderson; Carson Clarke; Aiden Edwards and Dolmat all scored for the Kings, with Kainaan MacGillivray picking up the win in net.
Heading to Powassan Saturday, Thunder Bay won for a second-straight outing, topping North Bay’s U16s 6-4.
Special teams paced to victory as they picked up a pair on the power play and two more while shorthanded.
Edwards and Paddington, with the eventual game-winner, had the man advantage markers while Kellen Ozerkevich had both tallies while the Kings were down a skater.
Striking at even strength in the victory were Vita and Nate Girvin in a match-up that saw Meadows secure the result between the pipes.
In the finale Sunday, Thunder Bay let a pair of three-goal leads slip away before eventually falling in OT.
Nathan Caputo; Girvin and Ozerkevich staked the Kings to an early cushion before Reed Sauve got one back for the Trappers in the latter stages of the first period.
After a scoreless second stanza, Girvin put his team up 4-1 early in the third period.
However, North Bay rallied by striking three times before the end of the regulation to send it to extra time.
There, Aiden Duchesne won it 49 seconds into OT after being sent in alone on a breakaway on a long-range pass by Warren Little and beating MacGillivray to end it.
Next up for the Kings in GNU18L play will be a two-game set, October 4-5, against the Timmins Majors at Fort William First Nation Arena.
The opener goes at 7 p.m. while the finale is slated for 10 a.m. at FWFNA.
As for Thunder Bay’s U15; U14 & U13 AAA teams, they concluded action Sunday at the Northern Ontario Hockey League Showcase in Sudbury.
In U15 play, the Kings went 3-2 in five outings.
They began with a 5-0 win over the host Sudbury Wolves, thanks to the shutout goaltending of Declan Scott.
Alex Simeoni and Cullen McCormack scored twice in the triumph and Lucas Degroot had the other. McCormack also dished out a pair of assists.
Next came a 5-4 OT loss against the North Bay Trappers after connecting three times in the third period to earn a point.
Luke Ritson, Cole Witiluk, Ryder Milani and McCormack were the Thunder Bay goal scorers while Maddox Boutette was in net.
A second-straight shutout by Scott saw him blank the Timmins Majors 4-0.
McCormack, while shorthanded, and another via the power play put the Kings up by two before helping set-up Braeden Tenhunen and Bentlee Wiwcharyk as part of a four-point performance.
In the club’s fourth contest, they were dumped 6-1 by the Soo Jr. Greyhounds with McCormack notching the lone marker.
They then wrapped up play by defeating Sudbury once more, winning 3-1.
Jesse Ukrainec and Wiwcharyk put the Lakehead contingent up by two before McCormack iced it with an empty netter in the late going.
Scott picked up his third victory in as many starts for Thunder Bay.
Meanwhile, the U14 Kings were a very respectable 3-1-1 in their five contests.
They started with a 3-2 decision over the host Wolves with goals by Jones Kochan (2) and Allister Knutsen and with Laird Morden getting the win in net. Next, they built on their first win by snaring the Trappers 4-1 with goals by Jagger Hautanen, Kochan, Jackson Bradley, Kaden Clower and with Corey Cava getting the win in net.
Following a 3-0 loss to Sault Ste. Marie, the U14s bounced back to knock off Sudbury 5-3 with goals by Kochan, Bradley, Cruz Obie, Carter Pasqualino and Brysen Beaucage and Cava getting the win . They finished up with a 4-4 overtime tie with North Bay with goals by Kochan, Obie, Jacob Chaykowski and Knutsen and Morden in net..
As for the U13 Kings, they dropped a pair of high-scoring decisions Friday to begin play, being blanked by the Sudbury Wolves (8-0) before being handled by the North Bay Trappers (13-4).
Jordan Hanlan had a pair of markers for Thunder Bay against the Trappers with Cooper Christenson and Ryder Olynick supplying singles.
Answering back Saturday they defeated the Soo Jr. Greyhounds (3-2), prior to being trimmed by Sudbury (3-2) in a much closer contest.
In the win over the Soo, Christensen tallied twice before Walter Klug banged in the game-winner in the third period.
Scoring for Kings in narrow defeat versus Sudbury were Aaron Kozyra and Klug.
They then concluded their weekend Sunday in another setback versus North Bay (9-2). The marksmen were William Jennings and Jase Leroux.
Griffin Courtis and Hudson Landgraff both saw time in net throughout the five games for Thunder Bay.
Photo credit: James Mirabelli
