THUNDER BAY – Sports – The annual Thunder Bay Queens Showcase came to an end Sunday with with four tightly-contested championship games with each divisional final all being decided by one goal, including a pair that required shootouts to determine a winner. Repeating as title winners were the Sportop midget AA and Hank the Tank Welding bantam A Queens sides while Nip-Rock claimed the midget A crown and the North East Predators of Manitoba taking home the bantam AA championship.
Sunday game recaps:
Game 44 — Bantam AA Final: North East Predators 3 Taranis Contracting Queens 2 (Shootout) – The Queens Showcase came to an end in dramatic fashion with the North East Predators of Winnipeg needing a shootout to edge Thunder Bay in the championship game in the bantam AA division.
Emma Smith-Andrushko notched the winner in extra shots to give the Predators the title.
Savannah Rennie and Mackenzie Henley had a goal and assist each in regulation for North East.
Danielle Veneruzzo and Julia Siciliano scored for the Queens with Veneruzzo also picking up a helper.
Game 43 — Midget A Final: Nip-Rock Rangers 3 Fort Frances Leafs 2 (Shootout) – The midget A final went right down to the wire with Nip-Rick pulling out the narrow victory over Fort Frances in a contest that required extra shots to determine a winner.
Sarah Latta had the winning goal in the shootout for the Rangers.
Scoring in regulation for Nip-Rock were Rylan O’Connor and Dayle Chouinard.
Maddi DeGagne notched both tallies for the Leafs.
Game 42 — Bantam A Final: Hank the Tank Welding Queens 1 Fort Frances Leafs 0 – The bantam A Queens captured the title for a second straight year riding the shutout goaltending of Callie Bevilacqua to the championship.
Both Thunder Bay and Fort Frances played a tight-checking game throughout with neither team scoring through two periods of play.
The Queens would break through in the final frame courtesy of Katie Poulter who notched the game-winner 1:51 into the session with the game’s only goal.
Bevilacqua was stellar throughout weekend for her side allowing only three goals in five while posting three shutouts and 0.60 goals-against average.
Game 41 — Midget AA Final: Sportop Queens 3 Keweenaw Storm 2 – Bronwyn Bolduc scored with 1:40 remaining to propel the Sportop Queens to the midget AA title of the Showcase over Keweenaw.
After a scoreless first period the two sides exchanged a pair of tallies in the middle frame.
Drue Ahola and Kaley Tienhaara found the back of the net for Thunder Bay while Selena Stromer and Megan Yeo countered for the Storm.
It marks the second consecutive year the Queens have won the midget AA crown in the Showcase after defeating Shattuck-St. Mary’s in last season’s final.
Game 40 — Bantam AA Semifinal: Taranis Contracting Queens 3 Duluth Marshall Hilltoppers 2 – A Paige Sullivan goal with just over five minutes remaining proved to be the difference as Thunder Bay joined North East in the bantam AA final following the narrow victory over Duluth.
Callie Hoff opened the scoring for the Hilltoppers striking shorthanded 2:56 into the contest.
The Queens responded six minutes later as Laura Deschamp notched the equalizer.
Following a scoreless second period Alyssa Cicigoi put the home side on top in the final frame only to see Hoff level the proceedings with 9:52 to go in regulation.
That set the stage for Sullivan’s game-winner as she finished off the feed from Samatha Isbell, who assisted on the last two Thunder Bay goals.
Game 39 — Bantam AA Semifinal: North East Predators 5 Winnipeg East Saints 1 – The Predators advanced to the championship game by virtue of win over the Saints.
Savannah Rennie and Kelsey McHolm had a goal and an assist each to help pace the club to the victory.
Mackenzie Henley, Morgan Burr along Hannah Astrope accounted for the over North East tallies.
Codie Watkins had the lone marker for Winnipeg East.
