Staff
The local Taggs Source for Sports Bantam ‘AA’ hockey team came home with a tournament title for the third-straight weekend.
The squad completed the hat trick with a 5-3 win over the River East Marauders (Winnipeg) in the final of the 20th-annual Pizza Hut/Grand Portage Lodge and Casino Bantam ‘AA’ tournament in Thunder Bay after previous tournament wins in Dryden and here at home.
Despite some untimely injuries during the tournament, Taggs was able to dig deep and come through in the end.
“Already missing captain Jon Carlson for several weeks due to a broken arm, the team also lost the services of stalwart defenceman Jacob Hawley due to injury,” Taggs manager Jim Parsons wrote in an e-mail to the Times.
“Coaches Don Larson and Gerry Hawley wisely moved forward Cole Godbout to the blueline, and the move paid dividends,” Parsons added. “Godbout played admirably in his fill-in role, even blocking a point-blank shot, looking as much like a goaltender as a defenceman [in the final].”
Jordan Larson and Jeff Davis each had a pair of goals against the Marauders while Colton Spicer netted the other one.
Spicer tallied his just 11 seconds into the game, and the Fort Frances squad built up a 3-0 lead after 20 minutes. However, the Marauders wouldn’t go away that easily and battled back to narrow the deficit to 4-3 late in the game.
But Taggs’ goalie Scott Parsons shut the door from there, with Davis scoring into an empty net to ice the victory.
For the second-straight weekend, the team rolled off six-consecutive wins en route to the tourney title.
Taggs opened the weekend with a 4-1 win over the Neebing Hawks on goals by Nick Kaun, Jacob Hawley, Spicer, and Dylan Grinsell.
Their next win came against the South End Rangers, with Taggs beating the hosts 5-3. Davis and Larson each had a pair of goals again while Spicer added the other.
Taggs then completed preliminary play by blanking the North End Flames 3-0. Defenceman Tarran Romyn opened the scoring in the first, with Spicer and Larson netting goals in the second and third periods, respectively.
Parsons earned the shutout in goal.
Taggs’ first playoff qualifying game saw them best the Westfort Maroons 5-2, with Brennan Carroll getting the win between the pipes.
Larson again tallied twice while Judd Gardiman, Davis, and Nick Jourdain had one goal apiece.
The local squad claimed the top seed after round-robin play and met the North End Flames again—this time in the semi-finals.
Larson led the charge with a hat trick and an assist, while Spicer tallied a goal and three helpers, as Taggs coasted to a 5-1 victory. Kaun added the other goal in the first period.
The Marauders beat the Norwest Stars in the other semi-final to advance against Taggs in the final.
