Staff
The local Boston Pizza Royals PeeWee ‘AA’ hockey team fell just a goal short of gold in Kenora last weekend.
The Royals were nipped 2-1 by the Dryden Paper Kings in Sunday’s final.
The win was sweet revenge for Dryden, who had fallen prey to the Royals by a score of 4-1 in Friday’s round-robin opener.
The Royals suffered a 4-3 loss to Winnipeg’s St. James Canadians in their next game, but recovered to thump Lake of the Woods (Baudette) 8-2.
Then they spoiled the party by defeating the host Kenora Thistles 3-1.
With a three-way tie for first at 3-1, the Royals found themselves in second and facing off against the third-place Canadians.
The Royals were not to be denied by St. James this time as they fought their way to a 3-1 victory to set up a date with Dryden in the final.
The Paper Kings tallied early in the first and then notched the eventual game-winner in the second.
The Royals halved the lead with about three minutes to play, but were unable to net the equalizer and instead were forced to settle for silver.
The Royals will begin 2010 at the Paul Bunyan International tournament in Bemidji, Mn. from Jan. 1-3 before hosting their own tourney Jan. 8-10.
