Staff
Isaiah Allam’s goal with just 1:28 to go lifted the Current River Comets to a 2-1 win over the Westfort Rangers on Sunday afternoon at the Ice For Kids Arena in the ‘A’ final of the Fort Frances Minor Hockey Association’s annual Midget ‘A’ tournament.
After a scoreless first period, Cole Lambert of the Comets found himself on a breakaway with just over six minutes left in the second.
He made a few dekes but was stopped with an excellent pad save by Rangers’ goalie Kailen Scott.
The rebound squirted free, however, and Adam Belluz was Johnny-on-the-spot as he poked it home to open the scoring.
But the lead was short-lived as the Rangers struck back before the period was over when Ethan Paquette skated the puck out from behind the Comets’ net and promptly fired a rocket under the bar and in against goalie Cameron Taylor.
Then with time winding down, the Comets dashed the Rangers’ title aspirations as Allam was able to bounce a point blast past Scott to give them a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
The Rangers did pull Scott shortly after that in an attempt to force overtime but to no avail.
Current River opened tourney play Friday with a 6-1 win over the Fort Frances Gold.
Allam netted a hat trick in that one while Connor Pennell, Ethan Bell, and Halen Kovacs also scored.
Jayden Asselin tallied the lone goal for Fort Frances.
The Comets then doubled the West End Bruins (Thunder Bay) by a 4-2 score.
Allam scored twice, with Pennell and Lambert adding singles.
Saturday’s action saw the Comets skate past the Fort William Hurricanes 4-1.
Belluz notched a natural hat trick in the third period while Jordan Bedour added a second-period marker in the win.
The Comets then capped preliminary play with a narrow 1-0 win over the Fort William Canadiens to head into Sunday’s final with an unblemished 4-0 record.
Evan Fox-MacKay provided the lone goal his squad needed with 2:46 to go in the third.
It was a miserable weekend for the Gold who, after the loss to the Comets, were routed 10-0 by the Rangers.
Fort Frances then lost 7-0 to the Canadiens before ending preliminary play with a 9-0 drubbing at the hands of the Bruins to head into Sunday morning’s ‘C’ final with an 0-4 record.
Things weren’t any easier in that game as they were dumped 10-0 by the Canadiens to finish sixth out of the six teams.
The Hurricanes claimed the ‘B’ final later that morning with a narrow 3-2 win over the Bruins.
