THUNDER BAY – For the first time in 26 years, the under-13 Thunder Bay Kings are All-Ontario medallists.
Buoyed by Kainaan Macgillivray’s 33-save performance, and a pair of goals by Brady Nash, the Kings captured bronze on Sunday night, beating the Sun County Panthers 3-1 in front of a raucous Fort William Gardens crowd.
It was a win for the ages, Macgillivray said.
“It means a lot to me and it means a lot to the team,” the youngster said, suiting up for Thunder Bay’s final three games.
The team just kept improving throughout the tournament and was able to set aside a couple of lopsided losses to be competitive in Sunday’s 3-1 semifinal loss to Markham and outlast a Panthers squad that beat them 7-0 during the round robin.
It showed a lot of character, Nash said.
“We played good all throughout the game,” he said. “We just kept playing the whole way through the game and didn’t give up.”
Snapping the 26-year-medal drought was the coolest feat of all, Nash added.
“It’s a pretty cool opportunity we have to be out here and it was an awesome time.”
Before the 1997 title, the last time the under-13 program won a medal was 1981, said Kings coach Jason Disher, who got to watch his son, Cooper, help make history on the ice.
It wasn’t always easy this season, but sometimes good things come to those who wait – and for the Kings, it was about two months since their Greater Toronto Hockey League season came to a close.
“We played great in the GTHL all season long, and then our season ended in February. Then we had to come home and practice for a month-and-a-half and have exhibition games … So, it took us a little while to get going and as the tournament wears on, you never know what’s going to happen. Everybody gets tired and the kids just kept going.”
Still, the Kings would have been in tough if it weren’t for Macgillivray in net.
He made a big stop in the opening two minutes of the contest and never looked back.
“The last three games we played, we don’t win them without Kainnan. He played amazing and he stepped his game up 150 per cent.”
Nash opened the scoring with the Kings killing a penalty, firing a high, hard wrist shot that Sun County goaltender Ethan Townsend couldn’t catch up to, the goal the lone tally of the opening period.
It appeared the two teams would play a scoreless second, but in the dying seconds of the period, defenceman Karter Hockenhull may have turned the momentum for good, ripping a shot from just inside the blueline that snuck past Townsend for a 2-0 Thunder Bay lead at the buzzer.
“When a goal comes from one of our players that doesn’t score very often, the kids just get pumped for him. They’re all little brothers out there. The kids were so excited the Hock scored because he doesn’t get that many goals. They were excited for him and pumped for him and it carried us through.”
Nash added his second of the night with just over six minutes to go. A Gianluca Mclure goal with just 1.6 seconds left in regulation spoiled Magillivray’s shutout bid, but couldn’t spoil the celebration that erupted moments later.
FIRST PERIOD
Scoring: 1. Thunder Bay, Nash (unassisted) 4:05 sh. Penalties: Glousher TB (cross checking) 3:48, Nash TB (tripping) 4:46, Hawkeswood SCP (hooking) 7:11, Grossi SCP (tripping) 11:01.
SECOND PERIOD
Scoring: 2. Thunder Bay, Hockenhull (Voortman, Nash) 14:59. Penalties: Grossi SCP (hooking) 8:16.
THIRD PERIOD
Scoring: 3. Thunder Bay, Nash (Disher) 8:56. 4. Sun County, Mclure (unassisted) 14:58. Penalties: None.
GAME DATA – SOG – Thunder Bay 11-10-7-28, Sun County 12-4-18-34; Power plays (goals-chances) – Thunder Bay (0-1), Sun County (0-2); Goaltenders – Thunder Bay: Kainaan Magillivray; Sun County: Ethan Townsend.
