Bantams lose ‘B’ final in Baudette

Maybe it’s defective hockey sticks, warped pucks, or nets that are narrower than regulation size.
Randy White could use any of the above excuses to explain the root of his club’s scoring woes, but for the moment, his team’s aversion to offence has him stumped.
“We’ve really only exploded in one game in a tournament all year,” said the head coach of the Fort Frances Tagg’s Bantam ‘AA’ squad that finished 1-2 in the preliminary round of an invitational tourney in Baudette before losing 4-3 in the ‘B’ final against International Falls.
“With the age change in Canadian minor hockey this year, we’re six months younger on average than the U.S. teams we play,” he noted. “Size makes a big difference, especially up front.
“The teams in Baudette outmuscled us, but we had our chances,” he added.
Warroad initiated the start of a difficult weekend for Tagg’s, taking a 5-2 decision in their opening game.
Joe Harren had a hat trick for Warroad, while assisting on both of defenceman Mason Kurz’s third-period goals. Mitchell Green and Tyler Miller replied for Fort Frances.
Tagg’s knocked off International Falls 4-3 in their next game after rallying from a 3-1 deficit in the second period.
Andrew Easton had the game-winner in the third, with Daniel Chapman, Miller, and Josh Sigurdson notching the other goals. Brian White added three assists.
Aaron Nordrum netted a pair for the Falls, with Mike Wilson adding a single.
Then a top-calibre Roseau team, which the Fort Frances coach considered a benchmark opponent for his squad, eked out a 2-1 win. Tyson Romyn had the lone goal for Tagg’s (the Roseau goal scorers were unavailable at press time).
Then in a complete turnaround from their earlier game, Tagg’s built a 3-1 lead in the ‘B’ final against the Falls only to see it slip away.
Brock Benjamin, Tyson Kadikoff, and Sigurdson all scored for Tagg’s to offset Nordrum’s first-period marker.
But the Falls stormed back on goals by Riley Burnell and Dustin Pullar to square the contest, then Wilson tucked home the game-winner with 2:11 left in regulation.
The local team’s only injury note currently is Alex McQuarrie, who’s out of the line-up indefinitely with a shoulder injury suffered last month at the Bantam/Midget ‘AA’ tournament held here.
In an exhibition rematch last night in International Falls, Tagg’s bolted to a 2-0 lead after the first period, but couldn’t close the deal as the Falls again fought back for a 4-3 win.
Wilson had a pair for the victors, with Burnell and Nick Scholler adding singles. Miller tallied twice for Tagg’s, with Sigurdson netting the other, and Brian White recording two assists.
Tagg’s will participate in another invitational tournament in Roseau this weekend.