The Norman Northstars moved out of last place in the Manitoba AAA U18 Hockey League for the first time all season with three straight road wins against the Kenora Thistles and the Interlake Lightning Jan. 24-26.
The team had won only one game in their first 36 contests this season, at home agains the Thistles, prior to the undefeated road trip. The Northstars now have nine points, five more than Kenora, with nine games left to play in the season, six of them at home.
Albert Sinclair led the Northstars with three goals in a 7-4 win to open the road trip in Kenora Jan. 24. Jordan Pfoh had a pair of goals, with Conroy Halcrow and Blake Lahonen adding singles. Ben Hackl, Evan Armit, Matt Spence and Kaleb Bruyere were the goal scorers for the Thistles, who were outshot 44-29 in the game. Rylan Potknojak made 25 saves to get the win in the Northstars’ net.
Sinclair had his second multi-goal game in a row Jan. 25 against Kenora, scoring twice in an 8-3 victory. Derek Koivisto also scored twice for the Northstars, while Cheechoo Lathlin, Ryan Monias, Pfoh and Lahonen added singles. Peter Zilkans had a pair for the Thistles and Armit scored the other. Kenora was outshot 57-35 by the Northstars, who got 32 saves from Potkonjak in his second straight win.
Sinclair made it three games in a row with more than one goal Jan. 26, scoring twice against the Lightning in a 6-4 win. Pfoh also had a pair of goals, with Monias and Dredyn Robinson notching singles. Ashton Fisher, Karson King, Kaydyn McMahon and Matthew Vandel had Interlake’s goals. Potkonjak stopped 23 shots for the three-game winning streak as his team outshot their opponents 34-27.
The Northstars take on the Winnipeg Bruins, who are currently seventh in the 13-team league, Feb. 1-2 at the C.A. Nesbitt Arena in their first two of six straight games at home before they close the season on the road on the last weekend of February.
