The two Thunder Bay Queens teams competing in out-of-town events are off to good starts.
The Sportop midget AA Queens blanked the Saugeen-Maitland Lightning 3-0 Friday in their opening game of the 2 Nations Prep Series event in Brampton, Ont., while over in suburban Minneapolis, Minn., the RBC Dominion Securities bantam AA Queens started off a four-game set with a 5-0 triumph over the third-ranked Anoka Tornadoes.
Aden Johnson registered the shutout in the Thunder Bay triumph.
The Queens got off to a great start grabbing a 2-0 lead before the contest was five minutes old on markers by Paige Sullivan and Kaylee Grosjean.
Grosjean added another midway through the second to round out the scoring.
Paige Wilson stopped all 15 shots fired her way in posting the shutout.
The midget AA’s second game of the day saw them square off against the Aurora Panthers Friday night and skate to a hard-fought 1-1 draw.
After Aurora took a 1-0 lead into the second stanza, the Queens’ Sarah Dodic notched the equalizer in the middle frame with assists going to Sullivan and Briana Prete.
The midget AA side has two more games scheduled Saturday starting with a 12:45 p.m. match-up vs. the Mississauga Chiefs before wrapping up the day against the Toronto Aeros at 8:15 p.m.
Over in Minnesota, Molly Kunnas scored twice and added an assist while Carly Hennessey notched one and set-up two others to help pace Thunder Bay offensively.
Mackenzie Lehto supplied the game-winner with the lone tally of the opening period with assists going to Lucy Newman and Cassandra Carigni.
Kunnas connected on the power play in the middle frame to put Thunder Bay up a pair through two with Dayna Doucet and Hennessey picking up helpers.
The Queens then put the game away in the third as they tacked on a trio of tallies off the sticks Hennessey, Meghan MacIssac and Kunnas to round out the scoring.
Thunder Bay will then take to the ice twice Saturday starting with a 9:30 a.m. encounter against Edina Green before wrapping up the day in 5 p.m. match-up with the Wayzata Trojans.
The Queens will then conclude the trip Sunday at 10:15 a.m. when they tangle with the Blaine Bengals.
You also had the Tim Hortons bantam A Queens competing locally as they dropped their first two games in the Neebing Thunder on Ice event at the Tournament Centre.
The bantam A’s, who are competing in the boys peewee AA division, dropped a 3-1 decision to the Elks 82s before falling 5-0 to the Norwest Stars in their second game of the day.
Grace Power notched the lone goal vs. the Elks via the power play in the third period to make it a 2-1 game before allowing an empty netter in the final seconds.
Shots on goal favoured the Elks 18-13 with Mya Gowanlock suffering the setback in net for the Queens.
The Queens were also outshot 20-18 in the loss to the Stars with Gowanlock again tending goal.
