THUNDER BAY, Ont. – The Thunder Bay major midget Kings have returned home from a two-game exhibition set in Minnesota over the weekend with a win and a tie to their credit.
They began with a 4-4 draw against Team Copper Country from Houghton, Mich., before defeating the Minnesota Northern Wings 5-1.
In the opener vs. Copper Country, Thunder Bay let an early three-goal lead get away before settling for a tie.
Baldino Aiello, Jacob Brown and Mathew Caruso staked the Kings to the cushion that held up through the midway point of the contest.
Cooper Country rallied for two of their own late in the second stanza, including one in the final seconds of the frame.
Robert McCollum put the major midgets up 4-2 early in the third only to see their opponents battle back once again with two more tallies, including the tying goal with two minutes remaining to earn a point.
Ryan Fanti started in net for Thunder Bay in the match-up.
In their second game the Kings started strong as well, however did not relinquish the lead as they skated past Minnesota.
Brown and Aiello staked the Kings to a 2-0 margin with first period markers.
Cody Bruchowski added to the lead with the lone tally of the middle stanza.
The Kings put the game away in the third getting efforts supplied by Brown and Elijah Loon-Stewardson, before the Wings broke netminder Seth McKay’s shutout bid with seven and a half minutes left to round out the scoring.
Thunder Bay will now prepare to begin North American Prospects Hockey League play Sept. 22-25 with a five-game slate in Blaine, Minn.
