KCs drop championship final to Neebing

As the local KC ‘AA’ PeeWee rep hockey team breezed through the competition at a tournament in Thunder Bay last weekend, one team spoiled the party.
The Neebing Hawks scored three straight goals to erase a 1-0 deficit in the second period en route to a 5-3 win over the KCs in the championship final Sunday.
After Donald Kellar scored an unassisted goal at 4:28 of the first to give the KCs a 1-0 lead, Brady Laskowski scored a pair of goals just five minutes apart to turn the tide for Neebing.
Matthew Lesperance later scored at 11:32 of the second to increase the lead to 3-1 through two periods.
Kris Esselink pulled the KCs to within one in the opening minute of the third period but Laskowski completed his hat trick with 9:22 to play to make it 4-2.
Shaun Wood then scored to make it 5-2 before Nathan Miller netted one with just 58 seconds left to close out the scoring.
The KCs reached the final in dramatic fashion, outlasting a team from Hearst 3-2 in overtime.
Jermain Attatise netted the game-winner with 44 seconds left in overtime while both teams were playing three-on-three. Kellar and Esselink were the other KC goal scorers.
The KCs opened the tournament with an 8-3 win over the Current River Comets on Thursday, paced by two goals each from A.J. Tucker and Kellar.
Attatise, Steve VanDulmen, and Esselink also scored.
Kellar, Esselink, and Attatise were the KC snipers in a 5-3 loss Friday to Neebing.
But the KCs rebounded later Friday with a 4-0 shutout over the Norwest Stars (Thunder Bay) on goals by Tucker (two), Kellar, and Bryce Witherspoon.
Then they closed out round-robin play Saturday with a 6-2 win over the Kapuskasing Angels, led by a hat trick by Tucker.
Ira Ottertail (two) and Clayton Windego also scored for the KCs.