The Pas Grub Box atom AA tournament kicked off with another chapter in the "Battle of the Kings" as the King Miners and the Dauphin Kings faced off at the Gordon Lathlin Memorial Centre. Their first meeting of the season turned out to be a contest that would make the clash of the titans look like a friendly dinner discussion. Despite being hemmed in their own end like a new pair of coach Wood's jeans, Dauphin struck first but in no time Jamie Valentino answered back with a looping wrister that dropped in for the first goal. Creating more pressure than a nurse treating an open wound, the Miners continued to control the play with grinding Nathan M'lot and "Charlie Hustle" Keistin Saunders bulging the twine to open up a two goal lead. Thirteen could not have been more unlucky, as just when the Black and Orange thought they had things in hand, Mark Lewiski (number 13) netted two shorties for Dauphin. Some penalty trouble, another marker by Dauphin and the clock ran out on Thompson. The Dauphin Kings stole this battle but can only hope their lucky rabbit's foot will still have some magic left for the next "Battle of the Kings". Cody Hale, Shayna Moore and Sheldin Howard all had their game faces on leading the Miners with their tireless effort.
After what felt like a whole day of waiting, because it was, the Mighty Miners and the Flin Flon Bombers tangled for the fourth time of the season. Having won handily the last couple meetings, the Miners were hoping for another easy "W". Yet again, they bested the Bombers but not without a little resistance. Thompson opened up a comfortable three-goal lead in the first, with Valentino getting a goal and assists on markers by Lance Bobesko and Hunter Williams-Spence. The Flon never gave up, clawing their way back to within one before Valentino played the role of baker's helper, putting the biscuit in the basket on a breakaway chance to seal the deal. Goaltender Ryan Monias and game star Keegan Sullivan shut things down on the back end, like a coast town with a tornado coming.
The tournament organizers saved the best for last on Saturday, leaving the "King Miners and Cross Lake Islanders Show" to the end of the day. By the time it was over, the Hockey Moms had done more screaming than 10,000 teenage girls at a Justin Beiber concert and every Dad had coached more from the stands than Scotty Bowman did in his whole career. The Miners got caught back on their heels a bit as the numbers added up quicker that the cards on a blackjack table for the Islanders. Three to one against wasn't how coach Wood planned to call in his troops after 15 minutes but the "chat" in the huddle struck a winning chord, inspiring his soldiers to claw back like a bear working on a pot full of honey. Early in the third, the KM not only drew even but for the first time the scales tipped in their favour, as Valentino completed his hat trick. Refusing to play second fiddle in any band conducted by a team from Thompson, the Islanders drew even with 10 minutes left. Digger Award winner Murphy Krentz stepped in front of almost as many shots as Shayna Moore who shone in the cage stopping everything like a cork in a bottle. Despite some last minute heroics both ways it ended in a 5 -5 draw. Thanks to some goals for and against "New Math" the Miners were headed to the gold medal match and the Islanders to the bronze.
Sunday, the Roy H. Johnson arena was packed, the mascot was out, they played the anthem and the tunes were blasting, for the premier match of the day as the hometown Huskies looked to keep the Grub Box trophy in The Pas. Both teams came out flying at the drop of the puck with back and forth action like a tennis match. For seven minutes they slugged it out from baseline to baseline before The Pas hit a passing shot to score. By early in the second frame they had built on that lucky chance and opened up a three-goal lead. In true King Miner spirit the atom AA's refused to let the Huskies run; reining them in via a Sheldin Howard one timer, late in the second. The King Miners threw everything they had at the Huskies ... Kale Mayor rushes, Zach Wood driving wide and Chris Pynn ever tough in the corners digging the puck out but this day the hometown crowd got what they came for in an exciting game that ended in their favour.
Losing sucks but the King Miners came away with as good a tournament finish as they have had all year and with the Munn Cup next on their agenda the steady improvement means we are in for something good in a couple weeks.
