Astorville tournament wrap-up

All three championships at the Audet Sports Vipers midget and bantam tournament in Astorville were decided by single goals at the Astorville arena Sunday afternoon.

The West Ferris Boart Longyear Vikings scored one minute into the bantam rep final against the East Nipissing Hilltop Variety Vipers and it proved to be enough.
Anthony Celebre was credited with the winner, helped by Jordan Beaudoin.

The Vipers rebounded from a poor tournament start when the Powassan Hawks spanked them 5-0, fighting their way back into contention.

But the hometown East Nipissing team appeared out of gas in the championship after edging the Timmins Kal Tire Titans 2-1 in the semi-final.

The Boart Longyear squad earned a bye to the final by edging a tough Powassan entry 2-1 Saturday night.
Viking goalie Alyssa Moyer wasn't tested much in the championship game, although she proved solid when it counted, including a last-second flurry while short-handed.

Englehart Matthews Motors and West Nipissing Allaire and Sons Sting rounded out the six-team division.

West Ferris Dollars cruised to the midget house championship winning their three Pool A round-robin games against East Nipissing, Espanola Garnet Ice Dogs and West Ferris P&G Auto.

The Dollar squad dropped a meaningless game against Temiscaming Shores Lacroix Excavating Puckhounds, filling in for a Timmins team that dropped out due to a death in the goalie's family.

But they came out strong Sunday morning, blanking the West Nipissing Sturgeon Builders 3-0 in the semifinal.
And Dollars managed another trio of goals against a talented Deep River Knights squad in the final after a scoreless first period and falling behind 1-0 early in the second frame.

Cameron Boake scored the first one for West Ferris short-handed with Jesse Ryan helping, and Zachary Campbell and Keegan Hladin chipped in the go-head tallies, assisted by Erica Hoetmer, Boake and Franklin Hermeston.

The five-team midget rep division was won by a sharp-shooting Espanola Knights of Columbus club that plays in the 'AA' Nickel District loop and will compete for the 'AA' Northern Ontario Hockey Association championship this spring.

Espanola sailed through the preliminary round robin against the Charlton Englehart Lions, West Nipissing Sting, East Nipissing Wassi Motors Vipers and West Ferris Grecos.

But the Sting gave them a run for their money in the final with a tight 2-1 championship decision.

West Nipissing proved their mettle against a superior foe despite playing a determined Viper squad twice earlier in the day, including a close 5-4 semifinal.

Submitted to BayToday.ca