Joey Payeur
Cole Tymkin is looking like anything but a high school hockey rookie so far this season.
The only Grade 9 player on the Muskie boys’ hockey team had the shootout winner in a 3-2 victory over the Northlands Parkway Collegiate Night Hawks (Winkler, Man.) in the final of the Dryden Eagles’ home tournament Saturday.
“Cole made a nice little forehand-backhand move that had the goalie down and he put it up over him,” recalled Muskie head coach Jamie Davis, who collected his first tournament title since taking over the post this season.
“It feels good but I’m more excited for the guys,” he added.
“They worked hard [so] it was nice to see them come out on top.”
Tymkin, who had a natural hat trick in the Muskies’ 6-3 win over the Kenora Broncos in their NorWOSSA home-opener last Tuesday, made the most of his third-round shootout chance.
He punctuated his decisive goal by sliding all the way back to the blueline on one knee before being mobbed by his jubilant teammates.
Nolan Vold and Tyler VanUden had missed on their shootout attempts earlier.
But Muskie goalie Jonah Johnson stood tall in stoning Jared Unrau, Jordan Wall, and Cam Wiens of the Night Hawks to allow Tymkin the opportunity to finish the final with a flourish.
“Jonah played well . . . he’s always solid back there,” lauded Davis.
David Pryde had given the Muskies a 1-0 lead at 1:17 of the first, but Unrau beat Johnson at 14:30 of the second to tie the score.
Unrau then netted his second of the game at 11:50 of the third to put the Muskies on the ropes.
But Vold buoyed Fort High’s hopes with his equalizer at 16:57.
The black-and-gold opened play with a 6-0 whitewash of the Sioux Lookout Warriors on Friday, eliminating any drama with a four-goal first period on markers by Bantam call-up Brett Hahkala, Braden Webb, Vold, and Chase Ferguson.
Tymkin had the lone goal of the second while Graeme Kitt capped the scoring with 2:58 left in the game.
Derek Kaemingh earned the shutout in his first game of the season after recovering from an appendectomy.
“Derek was outstanding for just coming back off his injury,” noted Davis.
Later Friday, the Muskies’ offence shifted into an even higher gear with a 12-1 blowout of the Morris (Man.) Mavericks.
They led 6-0 after two periods, then torched the Mavericks for six more in the third.
Vold and Jarred Taylor netted hat tricks in that one.
Hahkala and Tymkin added a pair of goals, with singles going to VanUden and Tyler Mosbeck.
Lance Dueck had the only goal for Morris, with Kaemingh again earning the victory between the pipes.
But Fort High had to play the role of “The Comeback Kids” in their third game, trailing the St. Thomas Aquinas Saints (Kenora) 4-1 in the second period before rallying to edge their NorWOSSA counterparts 5-4 in a penalty-riddled affair.
Both teams clicked three times with the man advantage, with VanUden’s second power-play marker of the game at 14:54 of the third being the difference.
Other Muskie goals came from Tymkin (two) and Kitt, with Johnson getting the win in goal.
The Saints got all their goals in the first period from Chase Becks, Devon Krolyk, David Snyder, and Derian Caron.
The two teams will meet again tonight in Kenora as the Muskies try to improve to 3-0 in NorWOSSA play.
The black-and-gold then head back to Kenora to face the Broncos next Tuesday (Dec. 3), who gave Fort High a good battle before falling in their previous meeting here Nov. 19.
The Broncos led 3-2 in the second before Tymkin went to work, scoring later in the frame and then adding two-straight in the third to make it 5-3.
He then assisted on Aaron McDowall’s second of the night at 14:41 of the third.
VanUden added a single while Vold had two assists, with Johnson earning the victory in net.
The Muskies don’t play again at home until Dec. 9 when the Red Lake Rams visit the Ice For Kids Arena.
