Storm, Northern Hawks aiming for National Championship berth
THUNDER BAY – Making a league final for three consecutive seasons is tough but satisfying.
The Thunder Bay Northern Hawks accomplished that feat on March 20 when they knocked out the Schreiber Falcons in six games of their Lakehead Junior Hockey League (LJHL) semi-final. It was the only game in the series that the home team won.
“We try and build our team with a mix of young and veteran players every year,” said Northern Hawks coach Frank Filice. “The rookies are making an impact for us every night. Matteo Veneruzzo has been solid on defence and our goaltending tandem of Patrick Forsythe and Brayden Mckever give our team a fighting chance every game.”
Forsythe won all four games in the Northern Hawks goal, sporting a 2.40 goals against average and a .919 save percentage.
The Northern Hawks were led offensively by Jack Michaelis, who had eight goals and nine points, which included a pair of game winning goals.
Matthew Himanen also had nine points in the six games against the Falcons.
“Winning the first two games on the road helped build our confidence as a team, which helped us in the rest of the series,” Himanen explained.
“I had confidence in our team to close out at home, but we knew that the Falcons were a young, fast team with great leadership and could turn games around quickly. The Falcons were never an easy match-up, which is why we knew we had to be at our best to close out the series.”
The 12-time LJHL champions will have a tall task ahead of them to make it 13 titles.
The Current River Storm were undefeated against the Northern Hawks during the regular season, outscoring them 39-11.
In just their second year, the Storm are in the league final after eliminating the Thunder Bandits in game five of their semi-final on March 23.
“I’m pretty emotional,” admitted Storm head coach Robbie Untinen after Saturday’s 5-2 victory. “It’s hard to imagine that we’re in the league championship in a short period of time.
"I remember when we first started the franchise, we were asked by many people ‘why do you want to do this,’ and even others predicted that we wouldn’t be in this position for at least six years.”
Parker Ball and Paul Lecuyer both saw the net in the semifinals. Ball won three games and collected a 2.33 goals against average to go along with a .925 save percentage.
The Storm are led offensively by Noah Broughton, who despite missing game five against the Bandits, has compiled one goal and 10 points in four games.
Storm captain David Chisholm did his best not to think ahead after the collapse in Game Four.
“There was a possibility that the Bandits could come back again and tie the game, but the boys did a good job of just keeping the game simple and playing shift by shift,” added Chisholm. “This is my last year playing with these guys, and we're just excited to keep the season going.”
The Bandits were able to force game five against the Storm with a 7-6 overtime victory on March 21 at the Tournament Centre, erasing a 6-4 deficit with a pair of goals in the final two minutes of regulation.
“Honestly, we prepare for every game the same way,” Untinen noted, when asked about getting ready for game five.
“The Bandits are a good young team who played fantastically throughout the series and didn’t make it easy for us. I wasn't surprised to lose a game to them, it’s hockey.
“At the end of the day, I have a lot of belief in this group because they're like family to me and to everyone else in the organization.”
The Northern Hawks eliminated the Storm in the semi-finals last year, but Filice knows that the Storm will be looking to avenge last year’s seven game loss.
“The Storm now have a veteran team with a majority of players who have a lot of experience not only in Junior ‘B’ but Junior ‘A’ as well,” Filice noted.
“We need to contain their top players and limit their scoring opportunities. We can’t let them get comfortable early in the game. They are very skilled and can change a game in an instant.
“We need to come to the rink each game and be mentally prepared to battle. We need to capitalize on our opportunities, and I think if we do that, the rest will take care of itself. Playoffs is a different season, and our players feel they are ready to go to battle each and every game in this series. Our veterans have been here before and know what it takes to win.”
Untinen noted there are a lot of guys in his dressing room who remember the game seven loss at the Tournament Centre and won’t be looking for a repeat.
“The Northern Hawks have been to the finals so many times, so I would say that they are the favourites going in because they are the defending league champions,” Untinen mentioned.
“We just have to do what makes us successful and see what happens. We are ready to get after it.”
The league winners will head to Flin Flon, Man. to take part in the Central Canada Cup beginning on Wednesday, April 17.
Kevin Jeffrey, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, TBnewswatch.com
