AAA Senior Thistles face-off against Lightning

January 7th, 2012

Garett Williams

Kenora’s AAA Senior Thistles are back in action Saturday, travelling to Beausejour to face the Manitoba Lightning in the club’s first game of the season away from their own barn.

The Thistles opened the season with a gritty 5-4 win over the Lightning at Thistles Rink in November and coach John Tresoor said he’s expecting another strong effort from the Manitoba squad.

“It’s going to be a good hockey game,” he said. “That’s a pretty good hockey team. They could be stronger, as well.”
In the second game of the home-and-home series, Tresoor said Kenora will ice a full line-up of 18-skaters, though he noted a few names will be off the roster, including Jon Johnson, who tallied two assists in the November tilt.

The afternoon match — the puck drops at 1:45 p.m. — is the final tune-up before the Thistles lace up for a two game series with the Fort Frances Thunderhawks at the end of the month and the coach is leaning on the basics.

“Every time we go out we’re just looking after three zones of the ice, looking after our own end and the neutral zone and getting on the forecheck,” he said. “Pretty basic hockey. I always keep telling the guys it’s a pretty simple game and we’ll keep it simple and try and work harder than the other team and we’ll be OK.”

The winner of the home-and-home series with the Thunderhawks will host game one of the best-of-three Northwestern Ontario playdowns in March for a shot at the Renwick Cup in southern Ontario and an Allan Cup berth down the road.