THUNDER BAY – A four-game Great North Hockey League weekend set on the road for the Thunder Bay under-18 Kings saw them collect a pair of come from behind overtime victories as well as suffer a defeat in regulation time and another in OT.
Oct. 23: Kings 5 New Liskeard Cubs 4 (OT) – Storming back from a two-goal deficit, Thunder Bay struck twice late, including an equalizer with 12 seconds left in the third period, before prevailing in overtime on a Sam Pierce goal.
Lincoln MacLean notched the club’s lone marker in the opening frame and saw Ben Krys connect in the second stanza.
Then down by two in the third, Keegan Weldon and Michael Figliomeni clicked deep in regulation, before Pierce, who also had two assists, completed the comeback in extra time.
Jackson Walker dished out a pair of helpers in the triumph and Kainaan MacGillivray got the win in net.
Oct. 24: Kings 6 North Bay U16 Trappers 5 (OT) – Another rally featured Thunder Bay converting three times in the final 12 minutes of regulation, highlighted by a tying effort at 19:24 of the third period, then capping off the comeback in OT.
Charlie Crane and Figliomeni notched the first two markers, then Pierce, along with Figliomeni completing a hat trick, with two late, helped send it to OT.
There, Emmett Adduono banged in the game-winner at 2:52 to extend a Thunder Bay winning streak to six.
Walker had two more assists to aid the winning cause.
Picking up the win in goal was Carson Bresolin.
Oct. 24: Cubs 4 Kings 2 – The squad fell behind in this one and could not catch New Liskeard who earned the home ice triumph.
Walker, while Thunder Bay was down a skater, and Owen Trevisanutto, via the power play, were the marksmen in defeat.
Oct. 25: Cubs 5 Kings 4 (OT) – Another comeback attempt came up just short as the Cubs won 26 seconds into extra time, on a Koen Tremblay power play tally.
Trevisanutto clicked twice for Thunder Bay, including tying it up seven and a half minutes into the third.
Jackson Pucci and Weldon had the other two goals, with Crane assisting on Thunder Bay’s final two tallies.
STATS PACK
Figliomeni, who is riding an eight-game point streak, currently sits second in goals-scored in the GNHL at 13 and is No. 2 in points as well on 27, so far this season.
Trevisanutto shares sixth with 11 markers. He’s also tied for fourth in offensive production with 23 points, while sporting a six-game heater. Pierce is one spot back with 10 goals.
Walker has etched his name on the game sheet in five straight outings while Pucci in on a three-contest run.
Crane leads the league in scoring among league defencemen with 16 points. Jackson Pucci is tied for fourth overall by rearguards on a dozen points.
MacGillivray is fourth in the GNHL in wins with five while teammate Bresolin in right behind him at four.
Special teams see the Kings sit seventh on the power play at 19.5% and are fifth overall on the penalty kill at 78.8%.
Thunder Bay’s six shorthanded goals does currently lead the way in that department as do their 18 man advantage markers, while having played the most games in the league at 18.
UP NEXT
The squad’s next GNHL action will be a four-game road swing in Kapuskasing, Nov. 20-22, versus the Flyers.
Meanwhile, the U13 Kings played four times last week down in Minnesota dropping a pair and earning a tie against the Duluth East Greyhounds by scores of 8-3; 3-3 and 9-2.
They also fell 4-1 in a contest vs. the Cloquet Lumberjacks.
BIG PUMPKIN TIME
Thunder Bay’s U13s head out on the road again this weekend when they travel to Rochester, Minn., to compete in the Big Pumpkin Invitational.
A total of 32 teams will be taking part in the U13 ranks while vying for the title there.
The Kings’ initial contest goes Friday at 1:30 p.m. ET when they take on the Osseo-Maple Grove Orioles.
From there, the club’s next outing will be against either the host Rochester Mustangs, or the White Bear Lake Bears, at a yet to be determined time.
Further matchups for the team at the three-day event will be based on the results of their initial two games.
Photo credit: James Mirabelli
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