THUNDER BAY – A return to Great North Hockey League play awaits the Thunder Bay under-18 Kings this weekend as they head out on a four-game road swing.
The first of three versus the New Liskeard Cubs kicks off competition Friday night in an 8 p.m. start at Don Shepherdson Memorial Arena.
Saturday’s slate begins at 10:30 a.m. when the club travels to Powassan to take on the North Bay U16 Trappers at the Sportsplex.
Then it’s back to New Liskeard for another 8 p.m. encounter with the Cubs to wrap-up the day.
Thunder Bay then completes their trip Sunday morning with a 10 a.m. matchup with the Cubs.
The Kings currently sit tied for third in the GNHL standings with a 7-7-0-0 record and 14 points, just one ahead of 6-3-0-1 New Liskeard.
As for North Bay, they sit with a 1-5-0-0 mark.
KINGS GNHL SCHEDULE/RESULTS
OFF TO DULUTH
The under-13 Kings will also be away for a four-game slate of their own, as they travel down to Duluth.
Providing a three-pack of contests for Thunder Bay will be the Duluth East Greyhounds, with the opener there set for 7:45 p.m. ET Friday.
Two more tilts are on the docket Saturday as the Kings and Hounds faceoff at 11 a.m. ET and 5 p.m. ET.
A fourth outing for the squad goes Sunday at 11 a.m. ET, when they take on the Cloquet Lumberjacks.
WEEKLY WRAP
Thunder Bay’s three other AAA teams all took part in tournaments last week as the U16s competed at the Madison Capitols Showcase in Wisconsin while the U15 & U14 Kings took to the ice at the Peterborough Icefest event.
Oct. 15
U14: vs. Buffalo Regals: A solid start to the tournament saw Coby Murphy and James Armitage stake Thunder Bay to an early cushion as they went on to crown the Regals 5-1.
Rylin Bailot, Jordan Hanlan and Ryder Olynick also found the back of the net in the middle stanza.
Kings’ goalkeeper Spencer McBean did the rest in a winning cause.
U15: vs. Kuper Academy: The Prep School from Quebec jumped out to a quick lead and never trailed in a 4-2 victory.
Lucas Ianni scored once while shorthanded and had another via the power play in the setback, with Jagger Hautanen assisting on both markers.
Oct. 16
U14: vs. North Shore White Caps: Matt Dawson scored three times and helped set-up another marker as the Oshawa-area team skated a 6-2 result over the Kings.
Cooper Christensen had both Thunder Bay goals, with Hanlan assisting on each of the them.
U15: vs. Peterborough Jr. Petes: Riding the shutout goaltending of Corey Cava, the Kings blanked the host Petes 2-0.
Kaden Clower clicked on a man advantage midway through the matchup for the eventual decider, then tacked on another later in the result.
Hautanen doled out two more helpers in the triumph.
U14: vs. Peterborough Jr. Petes: Like their U15 cohorts, Thunder Bay saw McBean register a shutout in another 2-0 triumph against Peterborough.
The tight-checking affair saw Hanlan bang in the game-winner on a power play with two minutes remaining in regulation, before Bailot iced it with an empty netter to provide some insurance.
U15: vs. Southern Tier Admirals: Clower led the Thunder Bay attack with a hat trick, and also set-up another goal, versus their opponents from the Niagara Region as part of a 5-1 victory.
Two more tallies off the stick of Ianni aided in the result that saw goaltender Laird Morden pick up the win.
U16: vs. Madison Capitols: A Brayden Morgan marker with seven minutes left in regulation was the game-winner and the Kings pulled out a narrow 3-2 triumph over host Madison.
Nolan Grennier and Lucas Degroot also tallied for Thunder Bay in the win while Alex Simeoni supplied a pair of assists and goaltender Carter Wemigwans earned the result in net.
Oct. 17
U14: vs. Kitchener Rangers: A four-point performance from Christensen powered the Kings to a 4-1 win over the Rangers.
He scored twice then chipped in on later markers from Hanlan and Walker Klug as part of his offensive outburst.
Collecting the victory in goal was Griffin Courtis.
U16: vs. Team Wisconsin: A high-scoring affair saw Wisconsin strike twice in each period in skating to a 6-4 victory backed by a two-goal, one-assist effort from Bennett O’Brien.
Connecting for the Kings in defeat were Colin McDonald; Cole Witiluk; Luke Ritson and Grennier.
U15 vs. Toronto Young Nationals: Another 5-1 triumph saw the Kings conclude round robin play on a positive note.
The Ianni – Hautanen – Clower trio combined for 11 points with a goal, plus three assists; two markers and a helper as well as four assists respectively.
Also scoring in the win were Nathan Pugliese and Allister Knutsen in an outing that saw Cava get the win.
U15: vs. Kuper Academy: Advancing to quarter-final action, Thunder Bay fell for a second time to their opponents from Quebec, this time by a 5-2 count.
The Kings’ marksmen in defeat were Ianni and Knutsen.
U14: vs. North Bay Trappers: In another quarter-final tilt, it was all Thunder Bay as backed by McBean, who turned aside every shot fired his way, the club earned a 4-0 victory over the Trappers.
Lucas Ball supplied the eventual deciding tally in the second period prior to Jacob Nadon striking twice and Lucas Clarke adding a single to close it out.
Chandon Adduono and Christensen dished out two assists apiece in the result.
U16: vs. Windy City Storm: Breaking open a tie game with five third period markers, Thunder Bay earned a second place finish and a berth in the final by doubling up the Storm, who are based out of Palatine, Illinois, 6-3.
Ryder Milani banged in two goals in the third, including the game-winner, with McDonald; Degroot and Simeoni also connecting in the session.
Ritson potted the other Kings’ goal, in the first frame and also saw he and Simeoni collect two assists apiece.
Wemigwans posted the victory for Thunder Bay.
Oct. 18
U14: vs. Ottawa Valley Titans: In a semifinal encounter Sunday morning, a trio of tallies in the opening frame sent the Titans on their way to a 7-2 triumph.
William Jennings and Clarke were the goal-getters in defeat for the Kings.
U16 vs. Team Wisconsin: Meeting unbeaten Wisconsin in the championship game, Thunder Bay came up just short, dropping a 2-1 result.
After trailing by one late into the third, Degroot scored to tie it with 5:43 remaining in regulation with an unassisted effort.
However, Grant Gallenberger notched the decider two and a half minutes later to win it for his side.
Roman Frattaroli was solid in net for the Kings in the narrow setback.
Photo credit: James Mirabelli
