FORT WILLIAM FIRST NATION -- Moving the clocks ahead an hour and an early start did nothing Sunday morning to halt the Thunder Bay Pee Wee AAA Kings’ march toward a provincial championship.
The Kings got goals from four different players, erasing an early 1-0 deficit to defeat the NWO Stars 4-1 in the Hockey Northwestern Ontario AAA district championship final at Fort William First Nation Arena.
Not a bad 13th birthday present for forward Tyler Lewis, who scored the eventual game-winner early in the second and added a pair of helpers.
“It’s really exciting. I’m really happy for our team to go to the Ontario (championship),” the youngster said.
“We just put in the effort, worked hard, came in at the start.”
It was the Stars, however, who struck first.
Coming off a 10-1 loss on Saturday to the Kings, Atikokan’s Andrew Kehl opened the scoring 10:21 into the contest, beating Kings goalie Gage Stewart, the one-and-only time the puck would find its way into the twine behind him.
The lead lasted all of two-and-a-half minutes.
Thunder Bay’s Matthew Valiquette, named his team’s player of the game, knotted the score, firing it over a sprawling Aidan Butts in the NWO net.
The two teams remained tied until the 4:02 mark of the second, when Lewis picked the top corner, going glove-side on Butts for a 2-1 Kings lead, an advantage they’d take into the third.
Jack Pineau, one of two rookies dressed for Thunder Bay, added an insurance marker early in the third, Jack Cook wrapping up the scoring at 5:45 of the final stanza.
Eleven-year-old Pineau, whose father Dave is an assistant coach with the Kings, said being a freshman makes the win even more special.
“It feels great to have a win,” he said.
Even at such a young age, he knows this was only one step for the team, their next challenge coming two weeks from now at the all-Ontario pee wee championship in Sudbury.
While winning at the provincial level would be a fantastic way to cap off the season, it’s not the only goal, Jack Pineau said.
“I just want to give it my all and just enjoy the experience,” he said.
Coach Ed Atwill said despite a fantastic effort from Aidan Butts, the Kings knew the goals would start to come.
However, he also knows they won’t come as easily in Sudbury.
“It’s much tougher, but I believe we’re very prepared for it,” Atwill said. “We played a couple of the teams, we understand the tempo, we understand the speed. Our puck movement is very good and our effort is very good and it’s a dedicated group of kids. So I feel really good going into the Ontarios.”
On Saturday, the Bantam AAA Kings claimed the HNO District title, knocking off the NWO All-Stars 5-1 to win the best-of-three final 2-0. Christian Veneruzzo scored a pair of goals to lead the Kings to the win, with singles going to Dawson Kareming, Michael Subbs and Owen Perala. Jacob Frankcom had the lone goal for the Stars, who dropped the opener 3-2 on Friday night.
