THUNDER BAY – It was a successful weekend on home ice for the Thunder Bay under-18 Kings as they swept a pair of Great North U18 Hockey League games against the Kapuskasing Flyers at Fort William First Nation Arena.
In the opener Saturday, the Kings were led by a four-point effort from their captain Sawyer Smith, and the shutout goaltending of Kainaan MacGillivray, as they blanked the Flyers 5-0.
Smith tallied twice, including notching the game-winner, and dished out two assists in the triumph while MacGillivray was credited with stopping all 23 shots he faced in the win.
Kellan Ozerkevich, Jackson Pucci along with a shorthanded effort off the stick of Nathan Caputo were the other Thunder Bay marksmen.
Sunday’s tilt was much more open before the Kings banged in two goals late to pull out a 7-5 victory.
In fact, four of the team’s tallies came in the last minute of periods as part of the result.
After the visitors took the lead midway through the opening frame, Nate Girvin tied it at 19:09.
Action in the middle stanza saw the guests and the hosts exchange a pair of markers apiece, including a man advantage effort from Nathan Vita and Ozerkevich at even strength before Girvin clicked with 10 seconds left in the stanza to make it 4-3 Kings after 40 minutes.
In the third the clubs continued to go back and forth, with the Flyers tacking on two more, sandwiched around one by Thunder Bay’s Michael Figliomeni.
Then with overtime looming, Figliomeni hammered in the difference maker in the waning moments of regulation.
Smith then sealed the outcome with an insurance marker just before time expired.
Ozerkevich, Ben Paddington and Luke Siciliano chipped in with two assists each.
Picking up the win in net for the home side was Nolan Meadows.
Niko Lessard topped Kapuskasing offensively with a hat trick and a helper.
Meanwhile, the Thunder Bay U16 Kings finished up with a 1-2-1 record at the 54th annual Blueline Tournament in Kitchener.
They began with a 3-2 victory over the Rochester Coalition before falling 5-2 versus the Okanagan Hockey Academy out of Whitby.
From there the Kings rallied for a 3-3 draw against the North Central Predators from Orillia, but were blanked 4-0 in their finale in a match-up with the North Bay Trappers.
Thunder Bay finished in a tie for eighth place in the 14-team U16 AAA division, however North Bay moved on to the quarter-finals by virtue of their round robin result over the Kings.
ON TAP: The U18 squad are right back at it later in the week with four GNU18HL games on their slate.
They’ll begin with a return engagement in Kapuskasing Thursday and Friday before heading to Timmins to meet the Majors Saturday and Sunday there.
As for the U13, U14 & U15 Kings, they too will be on the road as they travel to Sault Ste. Marie for another Northern Ontario Hockey League Showcase weekend that goes Friday through Sunday.
The U13s will take on the Soo Jr. Greyhounds twice along with single meetings vs. the Sudbury Wolves and North Bay Trappers.
It will also be the same opponents for the U14 Kings while the U15s meet the Soo; Sudbury; North Bay and Timmins.
KINGS SCHEDULE
Wednesday, Nov. 12
U16: vs. Fort William Hurricanes U18AA 9 p.m. (FWFNA)
Thursday, Nov. 13
U18: vs. Kapuskasing Flyers 8 p.m. (Sports Palace)
Friday, Nov. 14
U14: vs. Soo Jr. Greyhounds 6:30 p.m. (John Rhodes C.C.)
U13: vs. Soo Jr. Greyhounds 6:45 p.m. (John Rhodes C.C.)
U18: vs. Kapuskasing Flyers 8 p.m. (Sports Palace)
U15: vs. Soo Jr. Greyhounds 8:15 p.m. (John Rhodes C.C.)
Saturday, Nov. 15
U13: vs. Soo Jr. Greyhounds 9:45 a.m. (John Rhodes C.C.)
U14: vs. Soo Jr. Greyhounds 9:45 a.m. (Rankin)
U15: vs. Sudbury Wolves 2:15 p.m. (John Rhodes C.C.)
U13: vs. Sudbury Wolves 7:30 p.m. (John Rhodes C.C.)
U18: vs. Timmins Majors 7:30 p.m. (McIntyre Arena)
U14: vs. Sudbury Wolves 7:30 p.m. (John Rhodes C.C.)
U15: vs. North Bay Trappers 9:15 p.m. (John Rhodes C.C.)
Sunday, Nov. 16
U14: vs. North Bay Trappers 8:30 a.m. (Northern Community Centre)
U15: vs. Timmins Majors 9 a.m. (John Rhodes C.C.)
U18: vs. Timmins Majors 9:30 a.m. (McIntyre Arena)
U13: vs. North Bay Trappers 9:45 a.m. (John Rhodes C.C.)
U18 KINGS GNU18HL SCHEDULE/RESULTS
GNU18HL STANDINGS
NOHL SCHEDULE (Nov. 14-16)
NOHL STANDINGS
Photo credit: James Mirabelli
