Staff
The only out-of-town hockey team almost came away with a trophy.
Windey’s Warriors were done in by Daimon Gardner of Eagle Lake First Nation, whose goal with 3:16 to go boosted the Thunderhawks to a 3-2 win Sunday in the PeeWee division final at the fourth-annual Chuck McPherson Memorial Hockey Tournament at the Couchiching Arena.
Gardner’s tally came just 2:40 after Carver Twist had tied it for the Warriors–the lone team with a roster devoid of district players.
Trent Yerxa had the other Thunderhawks’ marker while Ethan Rose earned the win in goal.
The ‘Hawks were flying right off the start, taming the Fort Lions 12-0.
Gardner led the way with five goals while Gabe Legarde added four goals. Koda Radigan (two) and Hunter netted the other goals.
Rose got the shutout while Treyden Calder was saddled with the loss.
The ‘Hawks then pounded the Warriors 6-1 on goals by Gardner (four), Hunter, and Legarde.
Then they closed out round-robin play with a 6-1 victory over the NWO Stars.
Gardner fired a hat trick, with Hunter, Legarde, and Dylon Marino notching a goal apiece.
Teagan Wrolstad had the lone goal for the Stars, who later fell 4-3 to Couchiching in the bronze-medal game.
Josh Ward and Tristan Yerxa each netted two goals for Couchiching, with Cohen Robinson earning the win between the pipes.
Klyde Laplante had two goals for the Stars while Raiden Trist got the other goal.
The two teams opened the tournament against each another, with Couchiching prevailing 5-2.
Tristan Thompson led Couchiching with two goals, with Kade-Evan Bruyere, Ward, and Colin Kostiuk adding singles.
Royce Allan and Bo Gartzke replied for the Stars.
Couchiching then topped the Fort Frances Kings by a 5-4 score.
Yerxa had a pair in that one, with Savannah McGinnis, Brennan Jourdain, and Ward adding one apiece.
Noah McPherson and Taylor Chown each had two goals for the Kings.
Then Warriors then dumped Couchiching 5-2, with Yerxa and Bruyere getting the goals in a losing cause.
The Stars got their lone win of the tournament with a 5-2 triumph over the Kings.
Laplante recorded a hat trick, with James Bichon and Brady Redsky getting a goal each.
Ashton Barnes and Landon Lowes scored for the Kings, who beat the Lions 5-2 for their lone victory of the tournament.
Barnes and Chown each had two goals in that one, with McPherson getting the other one.
Nolan Antonick and Kael Archie were the only Lions to beat Kings’ goalie Kade Oster.
The Lions managed a 3-3 tie with the Warriors in their only game where they got at least one point.
Parker Nastiuk, Archie, and Dylan Tessier scored for the Lions while Calder preserved the tie.
