The local Tagg’s Bantam rep team sported a 3-1 record at the Steel City International hockey tournament in Sault Ste. Marie last weekend but that wasn’t good enough to stay in contention for a medal.
“It was an excellent experience for them,” noted team manager Ron Bridgeman. “They played good–really good.”
Twenty teams from as far as Chicago participated in the five-pool, round-robin tournament.
Fort Frances opened action Friday against the Marmotor Penguins, exploding for three second-period goals en route to a 5-3 victory.
Tanner Kaemingh (assisted by Tyler Barker and Cody Mosbeck) had given Tagg’s an early 1-0 lead. Then after the Penguins had tied it up, Jamie Davis (Jordan Wilson), Wilson, and Kyle McTavish (Mosbeck/Barker) scored in the second to make it 4-2 after two.
The Penguins crept to within 4-3 in the third but Barker (Scott Bridgeman) iced the victory with an insurance goal with 24 seconds left on the clock.
In their second game Friday night, Tagg’s pulled off another 5-3 win, this time against the Chicago Huskies.
Trailing 1-0 early in the first, Ian Lockman (Barker) knotted the score with about three minutes left before intermission.
Once again, Tagg’s got three goals in the second period, including a pair of short-handed tallies by Wilson and Davis, to lead 4-2 heading into the third (Wilson also scored the other goal in the period).
Andrew George, Bryan Chambers, and Andrew Wiersema picked up assists in that period.
The Huskies made it 4-3 with less than two minutes to play in regulation time but Davis (Wilson) put the game out of reach when he scored with 40 seconds to go.
The Sault Blackhawks dashed Tagg’s hopes of reaching the medal round by blanking them 2-0, scoring once in the first period and then getting an insurance marker on the power play in the third.
Despite being out of the running, Tagg’s came out strong to earn a 4-1 win over General Insurance in their fourth game on goals by McTavish, Davis, Greg Flewelling, and George.
Mosbeck (two) and Barker picked up assists in that one.
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
