SAULT STE. MARIE, Ont. – Thunder Bay minor midget Kings are returning home from the Northern Ontario Cup in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., with a silver medal after falling 3-1 to the North Bay Trappers Sunday afternoon in the inaugural event’s championship game.
Thunder Bay advanced to the final in the four-team event after edging the Sudbury Wolves 2-1 in semifinal action earlier in the day.
In the final, North Bay carried a 1-0 lead into the second period where the Trappers added two more to go up by three after two.
Nikolas Campbell did get one back for the Kings with a shorthanded marker early in the final frame, however, they would get no closer in suffering the defeat.
Stephan Bourgeois started in net for Thunder Bay while Eric Vanska also saw some game action in relief.
In the Kings’ semifinal triumph over Sudbury, Campbell connected late in the first, via the power play, to give them the lead.
Mackenzie Sedgwick added another for the squad in the middle session, in what proved to be the game-winner.
The Wolves pulled to within one 3:48 into the third, but Vanska shut the door from there to preserve the victory.
Up next for the minor midget Kings will be the OHL Cup, March 15-19, in Toronto.
Meanwhile, the bantam Kings took a two-game set vs. the Kenora Thistles over the weekend winning by scores of 3-0 Saturday before rolling to an 11-0 triumph Sunday at Fort William First Nation Arena.
Captain Jack Cook, Jeremy Dunmore and Matthew Valiquette all scored and had assists in the Game 1 win while Gage Stewart posted the shutout.
In Sunday’s romp, Dunmore notched a hat trick, Drew Caddo and Jacob Sargent collected a pair each with Cook, Alex Atwill, Hunter Matyasovszky and Noah Broughton supplying singles.
Sargent also doled out three assists as did Alex Pineau.
Recording the shutout was Brayden McKever.
The Bantams will now gear up for the Hockey Northwestern Ontario AAA bantam championship. March 16-18, back at First Nation Arena.
