Two teams with little to play for who will see each other in the playoffs this weekend met Feb. 10-11 in Thompson as the Norman Northstars and Kenora Thistles finished their Manitoba AAA Midget Hockey League regular season schedule by splitting a two game series.
Drake Bodie had a goal and two assists on Friday, while Eddie Bayer and Tavish Quinn each had goal and an assist in a game that took a turn for the strange when Kenora's starting goaltender Brandon Beaulieu was injured and replaced by Davy Fisher, who pulled a hamstring in 1:13 of action and was himself replaced in the third period by defenceman Sheldon Adams, who turned aside all 11 shots he faced as the Thistles, who trailed by four after 40 minutes, scored twice to make it a 5-3 final.
Lodie Ipeelie and Rick Frechette, with his first as a Northstar, had the other goals for the home team.
"Both teams had players at risk of suspension or were already in suspension trouble," said Northstars coach Dustin Levesque. "I think that caused the games to be really tentative."
The Thistles, assured of finishing fifth in the East Division after an Eastman Selects loss on Friday, came back with more vigour on Saturday, establishing a 3-1 first period lead and then holding on for a 4-3 win in the shootout.
Brendan Barron, Jameson Scott and Tanner Hepp had the goals for the Northstars.
"We had a bad habit of asssuming games were a foregone conclusion before the puck even dropped," said Levesque. "We settled for giving less then our best way too often and I don't know if it's for lack of caring or lack of focus but it was pretty apparent that they thought Saturday night would be a walk in the park once again and took two periods to get things going."
James MacLean of the midget AA Thompson King Miners signed with the goalie-deficient Thistles and recorded a win in his first midget AAA game on Saturday, stopping 42 shots in regulation and overtime and all three attempts in the shootout.
"Hats off to James Maclean for stepping up, playing a great game for Kenora and getting a AAA win in a shootout no less," said Levesque. "That's a special accomplishment and a story he'll be telling for years to come. I think Sheldon Adams, the defenceman for Kenora, willl be doing the same himself after playing a period of shutout hockey on Friday after coming in to relieve both Kenora goaltenders."
