SUDBURY, Ont. – The Thunder Bay bantam Kings have won their first three games at the 37th annual Big Nickel AAA hockey tournament in Sudbury while the peewee side dropped their initial two contests at the event.
After winning their opener Thursday evening vs. Ajax-Pickering, the bantams tacked on two more victories Friday defeating the North Central Predators of Orillia 3-2 in overtime before finishing up with a comfortable 6-0 triumph over the Timmins Eagles.
Meanwhile the Thunder Bay peewees were edged 3-2 by the North Bay Trappers in their first game Friday and then fell 5-1 to the Central Ontario Wolves later in the day.
Against North Central, Dawson Lampi notched the game-winner with 2:32 to go in OT as he buried a feed from Cole MacKenzie to win it.
Michael Stubbs supplied the first two tallies for Thunder Bay in the victory.
The Kings held the edge in shots on goal in the contest by a 25-19 count with Stephan Bourgeois picking up the win.
In the decision over Timmins, Thunder Bay struck three times in the opening period to take control on markers by Trystan Goodman, Nicholas DeGrazia and Alex Atwill.
Travis Hensrud then made it 4-0 after two before Lampi and DeGrazia capped off the one-side decision with third period goals.
Nikolas Campbell also chipped in offensively with a pair of assists while Connor Lemieux registered the shutout.
The bantams will take on Guelph Jr. Gryphons Saturday at 11:15 a.m. in their next contest.
Peewee play for Thunder Bay began with Josh Lehto giving his side the lead after the first frame against North Bay.
The Trappers then scored twice in the middle stanza to go up 2-1 before Jack Pineau tied it with 6:55 to go in the session.
In the third however, it was North Bay that would prevail as they added the difference maker midway through to pick up the narrow victory.
Keenan Marks suffered the setback for the Kings.
Taking on Central Ontario in their second game of the day, the Wolves rode the strength of a four-goal second period to prevail.
Alex Arella had the lone marker for Thunder Bay in the loss with Zach Biniaris and Alex Remenda earning assists on the play.
Oliver Tuchenhagen started in goal in the defeat.
A pair of match-ups awaits the peewees Saturday beginning at 8 a.m. vs. the Waterloo Wolves before facing off with the York-Simcoe Express at 5 p.m.