Thunder Bay Queens Hockey Organization

THUNDER BAY QUEENS HOCKEY
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Media Update

Release date: Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2013

Sportop Queens win CCM National Invitational in Minnesota

BLAINE, Minn. –  Four straight victories propelled the Thunder Bay Sportop midget AA Queens to the championship title of the Upper Midwest Elite League's CCM National Invitational Tournament in Blaine, Minn., over the weekend.

The Queens began play by doubling up Minnesota Elite White 4-2 on Friday.

Samantha Strassburger put Thunder Bay on top early before Azia Vass extended the lead as she cashed in on a juicy rebound from the left side after the power play unit held the puck in the offense zone for over a minute.

Later in the contest with the Queens clinging to a 3-2 lead, they successfully killed off a pair of penalties late in the second period to preserve the cushion heading into the third.

There Bronwyn Bolduc put it away capitalizing on a shorthanded breakaway in the game to seal the triumph.

Jayde Turcotte was solid in net in picking up the victory as she turned away 23 of 25 shots.

Two tilts Saturday saw the squad tack on two more triumphs as they blanked Minnesota Senior Black 3-0 and followed that up with a 4-2 victory over Team Wisconsin.

Against Minnesota Samantha Isbell and Kaley Tienhaara teamed up for two power play goals in the first period and Bronwyn Bolduc added an insurance effort in the second.

Sydney Isbell turned aside all 13 shots she faced to post the shutout.

Against Wisconsin the midget AA Queens came back from a 1-0 deficit with three second period tallies en route to victory.

Kaley Tienhaara had two of the markers while Paige Sullivan and Strassburger added singles.

Turcotte earned another win for the Queens stopping 12 of 14 shots.

Moving on to the final against also unbeaten Minnesota Elite Red, Michelle Carlson set-up Emily Oleksuk, before potting one of her own to put the Queens up 2-1.

Bolduc then notched the eventual game winner on a feed from Vass.

Thunder Bay outshot Minnesota Red Elite 39-20 in the final with Isbell earning the win in net.

The next out of town event for the Sportop Queens will be the Minnesota Thoroughbreds Thanksgiving tournament Nov. 29-Dec. 1 in St. Paul, Minn.