THUNDER BAY – SPORTS – The Thunder Bay RBC Dominion Securities bantam AA Queens have advanced to the semifinal round in the under-15 division of the Icebreaker Invitational tournament in Duluth, Minn.
The bantam AA squad earned their semifinal berth after skating to a pair of victories Saturday as they defeated the Grand Rapids Lightning 3-1 in their opener before dispatching the Owatonna Huskies 8-1 in the other.
They will now meet Edina Green Sunday at 11 a.m. with a place in the final on the line.
Against Grand Rapids, the game was scoreless through one period of play before the Lightning struck for the opening tally in the second.
Thunder Bay came back to tie late in the frame on a Carly Hennessey effort.
The Queens then got the game-winner from Brenna Nicol in the third before Lucy Newman added some insurance to secure the decision.
Josée Robinson was solid in net making 24 saves to pick-up the vicitory.
In the match-up with Owatonna, Molly Kunnas paced the attack picking up a hat trick while Nicol, Newman, Jocelyn Wojciechowski, Brynne Lambert and Cassandra Caragni supplied singles.
Paige Wilson was the winning goaltender in the triumph.
In the peewee under-12 division, Thunder Bay dropped both of their games Saturday falling 3-1 to the Lakeville Cougars and 5-1 to the Osseo-Maple Grove Orioles.
They’ll take on the host Duluth Icebreakers in the consolation semifinal Sunday at 9:15 a.m.
Meanwhile, over in Winnipeg, the Sportop midget AA Queens went 0-1-1 in Day 2 play at the Futures Winter Classic.
They began with a 1-1 draw with the Central Plains Capitals before being edged 4-3 by the Shaftesbury Prep Titans.
Stefanie Hayward notched the lone marker for Thunder Bay vs. the Capitals with Aden Johnson tending goal.
Kaylee Grosjean put the midget AA’s in front of the Titans in the first before Shaftesbury tied it.
The two sides then traded five tallies in just over a two-minute span in the middle session, in which the Titans scored three times.
Brooke Herman and Sarah Dodic notched markers for the Queens in the session.
Bailey Chenier suffered the defeat in net.
They’ll conclude action in Winnipeg Sunday at 11 a.m. as they tangle with the Westman Wildcats.
Locally the Tim Hortons bantam A Queens wrapped up play in the boys peewee AA division of the Robins Donuts tournament tying the Norwest Stars 3-3 before they were doubled up 4-2 by the Westfort Rangers.
Sibley Duckert, Mackenzie Christie and Caitlin Olinski scored the goals in the draw with Norwest.
Christie and Olinski added the efforts in the contest with Westfort.