KEEWATIN PLACE BLUES WIN ATOM CHAMPIONSHIP IN OVERTIME (JAN 24, 2010)
Date: January 24, 2010 Author: Carla Cranston
The Keewatin Place Blues Atom hockey team captured the B-side championship in Sioux Lookout this weekend a 5-4 sudden-death overtime victory against the Dryden Tigers. Playing 4 on 4 and with just over a minute left in the overtime period, Ben Nieminen completed an end-to-end rush with a high-speed deke to seal the victory for the Blues, and then was promptly mobbed by his team in the ensuing celebratory mayhem! The Tigers had sent the game into overtime just a few minutes earlier by scoring as the buzzer sounded in the third period to tie the game at 4!
The Blues earned their way into the B-Side final with another sudden-death overtime victory the previous evening against the Sioux Lookout Chili Peppers. Lincoln Blake’s forechecking with just a couple minutes left in over time was the difference as he setup Taylor Cann for the overtime winner and trip to the finals on Sunday.
The Blues opened the tourney with a 5-1 victory over the Sioux Storm. They lost their second game 2-0 to Thunder Bay, and tied their third 1-1 against the favored Sharks from Dryden – the same team that had defeated the Blues 9-1 a few weeks earlier as was playing in the A-Side final as the boys left town.
The young men in Blue played solid defense throughout the weekend with young Pittsburg Penguins prospect Jacob Parker notching a stingy 1.8 Goals-Against-Average in 5 games. Parker was a force throughout the weekend as he and him teammates put forth their best hockey of the season. Parker credited all his success to an unidentified defensive coach…
After spending a few hours answering questions from the local press after the game, the team packed up and headed home to rest before a long homestand coming up in their schedule. They asked that a ‘hello’ be passed along to absentee coach Dan Reynard who was rumored to be sipping from umbrella drinks somewhere in the Caymans this weekend. Priorities Dan, Priorities….
