Stefano scores five, Greyhounds dump Kings

Everything he touched turned to goals.

Anthony Stefano, who scored 61 times in 40 games this season for the Soo Greyhounds, added five more to that total on Monday night, staking his club to a 6-1 win over the hometown Thunder Bay Kings to wind down the opening day at the Ontario bantam AAA hockey championship at Fort William Gardens.

Stefano said it just clicked on his drive for five, particularly in the first period which saw four of the five cross the Thunder Bay goal line.

“I was just working hard and buried my chances,” the 15-year-old said matter-of-factly, after single-handedly sinking the Kings.

Stefano, whose team tied Hamilton 4-4 earlier in the day, said getting out to a fast start was key to regaining the confidence needed to go forward at provincials.

“We knew it was going to be big because we needed lots of points to get in. That’s what makes the medal round. That’s our goal,” he said.

Stefano didn’t wait long, burying his first goal past Thunder Bay goalie Nathan Dupuis just 48 seconds into the contest.

His second came on a breakaway at the 3:07 mark, his third on a one-timer from linemate Michael Amadio, who had 134 points this season, the only player to out-point Stefano on the Greyhounds. He notched his fourth at 13:12, chasing Dupuis from the Kings net, giving way to Dalton Demerah, after stopping just four of eight shots he faced.

Kings coach Vern Ray said the sloppy way his troops finished their tournament debut earlier in the day against the Northwestern Ontario All-Stars was indicative of the way they played against the Greyhounds.

“You try to reinforce it. You have to be prepared and the intensity has to be up, the legs have to be moving. Sometimes it’s tough. They’re young and it’s a tough lesson to learn,” Ray said. “As the game went on and we got our legs going, I thought we had some opportunities there, but it was too little, too late.”

Ryan Burton finally got the Kings on the board on the power play, beating Soo goalie Braeden Turco, the cousin of NHL star netminder Marty Turco, at 9:04 of the second. Earlier in the period Brad Arabia came close, hitting the post, the puck deflecting out of harm’s way into the corner.

The Kings would get no closer.

Cody Caron sank the dagger into the Hockey Northwestern Ontario champs’ comeback hopes at 6:36 of the third, firing a spin-around shorthanded tally that made it 5-1. Stefano completed the five-goal game with 2:49 to play.

The loss dropped the Kings to 1-1 after two games, while the Greyhounds improved to 1-0-1, after tying Mississauga 4-4 in their first match of the day.

Bantam bites: Soo manager Ralph Caria is the father of Lakehead Thunderwolves scoring sensation Matt Caria ... The Kings play the Essex-Middlesex Chiefs Tuesday at 3 p.m. at Fort William Gardens, their lone game of the day.

In other action:
Essex-Middlesex Chiefs 7, Northwest All-Stars 0 – Jared McCann scored three times to pace the Chiefs to their first win of the tournament, handing the Northwestern Ontario All-Stars their second loss in as many outings. Tynan Lauziere made 14 stops to earn the shutout for the Chiefs, who also got two goals from Matteo Ciccarelli and singles from Kody Tremblay and Sam Vokes.

Ottawa Valley Titans 2, Mississauga Rebels 2 – Mississauga’ s Robert Fabbri netted the equalizer early in the second to earn the Rebels the tie. Connor Cobbold and Kevin Groulx scored for Otttawa, with Damian Bourne scoring Mississauga’s other tally.

Soo Greyhounds 4, Hamilton Jr. Bulldogs 4 – Jarren Bellin, Jason Rowe and Michael Amadio scored third period goals to erase a 3-1 deficit and the Greyhounds stormed back to earn a point in the tournament opener for both clubs. Adam Burnett had a goal and an assist for the Bulldogs.

Mississauga Rebels 4, Essex-Middlesex Chiefs 3 – Santino Centorame scored the winner at 10:31 of the second, netting the last of three unanswered goals to give the Rebels the win.

First period
Scoring: 1. Sault Ste. Marie, Stefano 1 (Amadio) 0:48. Sault Ste. Marie, Stefano 2 (Amadio) 3:07. 3. Sault Ste. Marie, Stefano 3 (Delavalle, Bellini) 7:45. 4. Sault Ste. Marie, Stefano 4 (Amadio, Rowe) 12:11. Penalties: White SSM (hooking) 9:45, McKee TB (slashing) 10:45, Nigro TB (high sticking) 12:56.

Second period
Scoring: 5. Thunder Bay, Burton (DelPaggio) 9:04 pp. Penalties: Arabia TB (high sticking) 2:03, Nolan SSM (hooking) 8:35.

Third period
Scoring: 6. Sault Ste. Marie, Caron 1 (unassisted) 6:36 sh. 7. Sault Ste. Marie, Stefano 5 (Rowe, Trecroce) 12:11. Penalties: Nolan SSM (cross checking) 5:13, Trecroce SSM (closing hand on puck) 7:27,

Game Data – SOG – Sault Ste. Marie 8-5-6-19, Thunder Bay 8-8-8-24; Power plays (goals-chances) – Sault Ste. Marie (0-2), Thunder Bay (1-5); Goaltenders – Thunder Bay: Nathan Dupuis (eight shots, four goals), Dalton Demerah (13:12, first), Sault Ste. Marie: Braedon Turco; A: 300 (estimated).