The Fort Frances Knights of Columbus PeeWee ‘AA’ hockey team had a highly-successful showing at the Stars of Tomorrow-Norwest tournament in Thunder Bay from March 6-9.
The Knights kicked off round-robin play with a 4-3 defeat of the KC Sabres of Thunder Bay. Jordan Larson led the attack with two goals while Matt Debenedet and Tyler Mosbeck added singles.
In their second game, the Knights avenged an early-season loss in the championship game to the Neebing Hawks by handing the local squad a 5-4 defeat.
Larson again led the way with a pair of goals while Mosbeck, Nolan Ross, and Tyson Durbin also tallied.
The Knights followed that up with a one-sided 9-4 win versus the Sartell-Monticello Saberstars from the Twin Cities. The goal scorers included Larson (hat trick), Brody McPherson and Nolan Ross (two each), Colton Spicer, and Ian Kitt.
After finishing 3-0 in pool play, the Knights next faced the tourney hosts—the Norwest Stars—in a quarter-final match-up, in which Mark Loveday backstopped the squad to a narrow 6-5 victory.
Larson once again was the big gunner, notching four goals, with McPherson and Hunter Leishman rounding out the scoring. Contributing with assists were Daniel Jean and Braden Webb.
Game MVPs for the Knights included Davis Ross, Tyson Durbin, Courtney Bethune, and Judd Gardiman.
The semi-final opponent for the Knights were the Superior Spartans, who proved to be a fast-skating and physical opponent.
The Knights jumped out to an early 2-0 lead on goals by Larson and a howitzer from the point by Gardiman. But the Spartans countered with a fast, counter-attack game and had rallied to tie the score by the second intermission.
The Spartans continued their strong play in the third and, after numerous shots on Knights’ goalie Scott Parsons, had stretched their lead to 4-2 midway through the period.
But the Knights were not going to go down without a fight. Coaches Don Larson and Monte Ross managed to rally the troops, with the Knights making a strong comeback.
Jordan Larson provided the scoring punch—notching a pair of goals to force overtime. After neither team could score in the four-on-four extra frame, the game proceeded to a shootout.
The see-saw battle continued as Nolan Ross scored first for the Knights, only to have the Spartans’ third shooter, Luke Darwin, fire one past Parsons to extend the shootout to extra shooters.
After two misses from Knights’ snipers, the Spartans claimed victory after their fifth shooter, Aaron Miller, notched the game-winner.
The Knights’ game MVP was awarded to Larson, the team’s captain.
Overall, the Knights overall had a highly-successful season in 2007-08, winning championships in Kenora and Fort Frances as well as being finalists in Brandon and Thunder Bay.
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
