The McLean and Dickey North Central Predators major bantams opened their quest for an Ontario Hockey Federation (OHF) provincial crown with an impressive and decisive 6-1 victory Monday over the Thunder Bay Kings.
The Preds used a potent power play, scoring three of their first four goals on the man-advantage, to open the OHF bantam AAA provincial championship they are hosting on a winning note.
Fans packed the stands at the Rama MASK for the afternoon contest – the opening game of the five-day tourney for both teams.
After the Preds scored an early power-play goal, the Kings knotted the score at 1-1, before the pesky Predators restored their lead before the first period concluded. In the second stanza, the hosts were dominant, controlled the play and took advantage of their opportunities to head into the final frame up 4-1.
The Predators went into shut-down mode in the third, found a way to score another pair of goals and were full value for the 6-1 decision.
North Central goalie Coulter Taylor had a strong game for the victors in a contest in which the defence kept the Kings to the outside. Offensively, Aaron Zurawski and captain Cole Patey paced the attack with two goals apiece, while Connor Punnett and Ethan Larmand tallied single markers.
The Predators return to action tonight. After the official opening ceremonies at 6:30 p.m., the Preds will play the Whitby Wildcats in a 7 p.m. contest. Whitby suffered a 4-0 loss to a very strong Don Mills Flyers team in the tournament’s opening contest.
The OHF championship features the reigning champions from the six different regions of the province in addition to the Predators, the host team.
All tournament games will be played at the MASK. Admission price is $10 per game or $5 per senior/student. You can also purchase a day pass for $15 ($10 for seniors/students) or a Monday to Thursday pass for $50 ($35 for students/seniors) and a championship day pass for Friday’s action for $15 ($10 for seniors/students.)
For up-to-date information and scores, follow along on Twitter: @2018BantamChmpnshps. You can also check out the tournament page on PointStreak where game summaries will be updated in real time. The games will be livestreamed on hockeytv.com.
