Wildcats – Majors battle to 3-3 tie at U13 provincials

THUNDER BAY – The opening game of round robin play on Day 4 of the All-Ontario under-13 AAA championship at the Fort William Gardens Saturday saw the Whitby Wildcats and Markham Majors skate to a 3-3 draw.

Markham began the morning’s scoring nearly four minutes into the contest when Joseph Fenwick fed an open Jack Samek in front, who quickly whipped the puck past Whitby netminder Lukas Butler.

The Wildcats came back to tie it midway through the frame after Colton Fry fired a shot from the right point and saw Shea Huinink bury the rebound on Majors starter Dylan Sack.

Second period play produced a plethora of chances for Markham, but they could not solve Butler as the clubs hit the intermission still knotted at 1-1.

Whitby then took the lead early in the third when Huinink’s slap shot from the blueline sailed over the blocker of Sack into the top left hand corner.

Carter Cross then drew the GTHL title holders even as he fired a shot from the left point that found its way in through a screen.

Retaking the lead with 5:46 remaining, William Knight took a Gryson Gill feed and roofed one from the left circle.

Answering once more, the Majors’ Cam Johnson wheeled out of the corner and buried the equalizer with a nice attempt in the latter stages of the match-up to round out the scoring.

Butler made 46 saves to help his side earn a point in the draw, with Sack facing 18 attempts for Markham.

Picking up BioSteel Player of the Game honours were Knight and Samek.

Photo credit: James Mirabelli