THUNDER BAY – SPORTS – It was another successful weekend on the ice for the Thunder Bay Queens as a pair of teams earned medals in tournament play.
The Tim Hortons peewees skated to the gold medal at the All-American Girls tourney in Blaine, Minn., with a 2-0 triumph over the Glenview Stars while the midget A Queens dropped a heart-breaking 3-2 decision in overtime to the Guelph Jr. Gryphons in the final of the Harbor Center Cup in Buffalo, N.Y.
Kendra Fortin’s goal midway through the third period proved to be the game-winner for the peewees in the final with Mikaela Chimbakis picking up an assist.
Fortin then helped set-up Olivia Nicholl for an insurance marker in the third for Thunder Bay with Caitlyn McGuire also adding a helper.
Lindsay Humeniuk posted the shutout in the championship game.
In semifinal action Sunday the Queens rolled over Rochester, Minn., by an 8-0 score to reach the final.
Kayla Stein had a huge for his side scoring four times and setting up another with Laura Van Dyk dishing out four assists of her own.
Alexis Paddington, Grace Grosjean, Grace Power and McGuire also scored for Thunder Bay in the contest that saw Camryn Williams secure the shutout.
The Queens were also spotless in round robin play as they did not allow a goal against in one-side triumphs over the Chaka-Chanhassen Storm Hawks by a 6-0 count and a 9-0 drubbing of the Winnetka Warriors.
Nicholl paced the Thunder Bay attack with two goals and an assist against Chaska.
Fortin, Grosjean, Alexis Paddington and Bella Caragni also scored for the Queens with Grosjean adding a pair of helpers as well.
Camryn Williams posted the shutout.
Paddington and Isabella Badanai had hat tricks vs. Winnetka while Gaby Andreacchi racked up six assists.
Nicholl, Grosjean and Caragni also found the back of the net with Humeniuk blanking the Warriors.
The midget A Queens fell just short in their attempt in their attempt to take the title in snow-bound Buffalo in the OT setback to Guelph in the final.
Allison Pages, on the power play, and Whitney Scott, shorthanded, connected for Thunder Bay in that contest with the Gryphons scoring on the power play in extra time to win.
Cameron Ivall made 21 saves in net.
The Queens advanced to the finale in Buffalo following a 2-0 victory over the Niagara Falls Rapids in semifinal action.
Mikayla Sparks notched the game-winner 9:15 into the first with Amanda Pages adding another early in the second to round out the scoring with Taylor Gombola registering the shutout.
The midget A’s were 3-0 in round robin play including an earlier 2-1 win over Guelph.
They also clipped the West Seneca Wings 6-1 and the Rochester Grizzlies 4-1.
Amanda Pages with a pair, Danielle Saunders, Alyssa Cicigoi, Jordyn Paris and Delaney McLeod all tallied vs. West Seneca and Gombola picked up the win in goal.
Montana Russo supplied the game-winner vs. Rochester with Kaarina Kotanen, Madeline Browczuk and Scott also adding markers. Ivall was the winning goaltender.
Meanwhile the Manshield bantam A Queens finished with a 1-2-1 record at the All-American Girls event.
Mackenzie Christie led the bantams offensively with two goals and an assist.
MacKenzie Lehto all had a pair of markers while Jessie Page and Jillian D’Angelo supplied singles.
