Local rep teams see success over Thanksgiving weekend

Soo Today received the following results from the Vanmark Pee Wee AAA Greyhounds, Algoma Industrial AAA Minor Bantam Greyhounds as well as the Soo Thunder, the local minor midget entry.

The Pee Wee Greyhounds swept a trio of road games in North Bay while the bantams lost in the championship in the Tim Hortons Hamilton Huskies AAA Tournament. The Thunder, also competing in Hamilton, came home with the tournament championship.

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The Vanmark Sault Jr. Greyhounds Pee Wee Minor AAA reps won all three of their road games in North Bay this past weekend in the Northern Ontario PeeWee Minor AAA hockey league.

In Saturday morning action, the Greyhounds defeated the North Bay Trappers 2-1 and 6-1 later that day. They finished the three-game series on Sunday with a 7-5 win, coming away with a total of six points.

Next action is this coming weekend when the Thunder Bay Kings travel to the Sault to play the Junior Greyhounds in a three-game exhibition series. Game times on Saturday are 12-1:45 p.m. at the John Rhodes and 7-9 p.m. at the McMeeken. Sunday’s game is at the Rankin from 7-9 a.m.
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The Algoma Industrial Soo Greyhounds wins Silver in the Tim Hortons Hamilton Huskies AAA Hockey Tournament over the Thanksgiving weekend. 

In game one the Soo lost to Brantford 99ers by a score of 3-2. The Soo goals were scored by Dyllon Anderson and Mark Taylor with the lone assist to Liam Brescacin. Matt Reid took the loss in goal, despite his strong play.

Game two saw the Greyhounds get their first win of the tournament, beating the home town Hamilton Huskies 4-0.  Led by a two goal effort from Gage Stephney, singles goals went to Steven Khull and Nick Smith. Assists went to Holden Brock, Taylor, and Smith. Garrett Boyonoski got the shutout.

The third game of the weekend saw the Hounds up against the Cambridge Hawks with the Soo winning 1-0 and securing an entry to the medal round. Scoring for the Hounds was Taylor, unassisted.   Reid earned the shutout in the win.

Game four saw the Soo earn a gold medal berth by beating the Niagara North Stars 3-2 in a penalty filled affair.  Goal scorers for the Hounds were Khull, Tassone, and Nolan Makkonen with assists going to Brock, Smith, Darrel Baker and Taylor. Boyonoski was in net for the win.

In the Gold Medal game the Hounds couldn’t get their game going like they wanted and lost to Brantford 2-0.  Matt Reid played hard in the loss.

Next action for the Hounds is Saturday when then host Traverse City for two game at noon and 5:30 p.m. at the Rankin arena and Rhodes respectively.
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After being denied entry into the Toronto Titans Tournament in early September, the Soo Thunder set their sights on the Hamilton Huskies Tournament, which took place this past weekend.

Their goal was to prepare and make an impact in their first opportunity to play in front of all the OHL scouts and make an impact is exactly what they did, going undefeated and winning 8-1 in the finals over the Upper Canada Cyclones.

The Soo started the weekend with a 3-3 tie in game one versus the Hamilton Bulldogs. Frankie Pucci and Blake Speers lead the way in the tie. Pucci had a pair of goals and Speers had three assists, Matthew Keenan chipped in with a goal.

In game two on Saturday, a five goal first period is all the Thunder needed to cruise to an 8-1 victory over the Guelph Jr. Storm. Scoring two goals each were Speers and Matthew Caruso. Singles went to Andrew Barbeau, Adam McPhail, Owen Headrick and Cole Lussier.

On Sunday morning, two goals by Jacob Palmerio and a goal and two assists by Pucci helped pace the Thunder to a 6-1 win over the Rochester Alliance. McPhail, Nicolas Sicoly and Caruso chipped in with singles.

Sunday afternoon, the game against the Huron Perth Lakers would see the winner take the division title and advance to the semi-finals. Sicoly`s two goals, the latter being the game winner, would give the Soo a 4-3 win and a date in the semi`s. Speers and Keenan would add goals in the win.

The Thunder would finish the round robin with the best record and face the team with the fourth best record, the Nickel City Sons, in the semi-finals on Monday morning. Despite the Sons hard forecheck in the first period, goals by Jason Uhl and Keenan put the Thunder up 2-0 after one. Single goals by Speers and Caleb Boman in the next two periods was enough for a 4-2 win and a ticket to the finals .

In the final the Thunder was very determined to put their stamp on the tournament and exploded to a dominant four-goal first period on goals by Pucci, McPhail, Headrick and Speers. In the second, the Soo was short handed for eleven minutes but the penalty kill unit and goaltending of Mario Culina held Upper Canada off the scoresheet. Goals by Sicoly, Boman, Pucci and Keenan in the third sealed the 8- 1 win and the tournament title.

Next action for the Thunder will be this weekend at home versus Nickel City and then off to the Waterloo Golden Puck Tournament the weekend after.
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