THUNDER BAY – NORTH BAY – Stephen Pietrobon scored twice to help lead the St. Michael’s Buzzers (OJHL) to a 5-2 victory over the North Bay Trappers (NOJHL) Wednesday evening in day 2 action at the Dudley-Hewitt Cup Central Canada Junior championship being held at North Bay Memorial Gardens.

The Buzzers got off to a dream start scoring on their first shot of the game as Pietrobon beat Greg Dodds from the right side25 seconds after the opening face-off.

Top quality hockey at Dudley Hewitt Cup

North Bay responded six minutes later as Danny Carter spun around in the slot and fired one between the legs of St. Michael’s starter Adrian Ignagni.

The Ontario Junior Hockey League champions retook the lead however before the opening session was out with Jake Evans lifting a shot into the top left hand corner right off a face-off to Dodds’ left. 

A superb individual shorthanded effort by the Buzzers’ Shane Conacher, who was the OJHL’s most valuable player in the postseason, skated in alone on a breakaway and made a couple of quick dekes before calmly depositing the puck into an open right side of the net with 8:38 remaining in the middle session.

Special teams accounted for their next marker as well as Michael Neville connected on the power play in the latter stages of the stanza.

The Trappers pulled to with two with 1:24 to go as Graham Pickard stuffed one past Ignagni.

The home side then pulled Dodds in favour of an extra attacker, but the Buzzers iced it with Pietrobon finding the empty net for his second of the night with half a minute remaining to round out the game’s scoring

With the victory St. Michael’s improves to 2-0 and are guaranteed at least a semifinal berth while North Bay fell to 1-1 setting up the final day of round robin play with much yet to be decided in regard to the final standings.

Player of the game laurels went to Conacher and Carter in a game that saw the finals shots on goal end up 37-31 in favour of North Bay.

Round robin play at the Dudley-Hewitt wraps up Thursday as the Buzzers tangle with the Minnesota Wilderness (SIJHL) (1-1) at 2:30 p.m. while the Trappers meet NOJHL rival Soo Thunderbirds (0-2) at 7 p.m.

Dudley-Hewitt Cup
April 30-May 4 @ North Bay

Competing teams
North Bay Trappers (Host-NOJHL)
Soo Thunderbirds (NOJHL)
Minnesota Wilderness (SIJHL)
St. Michael’s Buzzers (OJHL)

Schedule/Results
April 30
St. Michael’s 4 Soo 2
North Bay 4 Minnesota 1  
May 1
Minnesota 7 Soo 0 
St. Michael’s 5 North Bay 2
May 2 
Minnesota vs. St. Michael’s 2:30 p.m.
North Bay vs. Soo 7 p.m.
May 3
Semifinal: 2nd round robin vs. 3rd round robin 7 p.m.
May 4
Final: 1st round robin vs. Semifinal winner 7 p.m.

STANDINGS
After Day 2
TEAM               GP    W    L    PTS  GF   GA
St. Michael’s      2     2    0    4    9    4
North Bay          2     1    1    2    6    6
Minnesota          2     1    1    2    8    4
Soo                2     0    2    0    2    11

Dudley-Hewitt Cup winner advances to the Royal Bank Cup May 11-19 in Summerside, P.E.I.