U16 Greyhounds Punch Ticket to 2025 GNU18HL Playoff Tournament with Win Over U16 Trappers -

Photo Credit: Freeze Frame Photos

On Sunday, March 9th, in the 2025 GNU18HL play-in tournament in Sault Ste. Marie, the Soo U16 Greyhounds took to the ice against the North Bay U16 Trappers in the play-in championship game, fighting for a chance to secure their spot in the 2025 GNU18HL playoff tournament in Timmins from March 12 to 16.

The Trappers struck first at 14:13 of the opening period when Uilliam Noll found the back of Greyhounds netminder Gavin Zuccato’s net, giving North Bay a 1-0 lead with his first goal of the tournament. Grady Dale and Emerik Bray provided the assists. However, the Greyhounds responded late in the period when defenseman Kingston Kellar fired a shot from just inside the blue line, netting his first goal of the weekend and evening the score at 1-1. Nathan Watts and Jacob Vincent picked up assists on Kellar’s goal, which came with just 53 seconds remaining in the first period.

Kellar struck again early in the second, scoring his second of the game from the blue line to give the Soo a 2-1 lead. Nico Bossio and Wyatt Jarratt contributed assists on the go-ahead goal. North Bay responded at 6:56 of the period when Cedar Montreuil netted his seventh goal of the tournament, with Janssen Fransen and Miguel Brunette setting up the tying marker for the Trappers.

The Greyhounds reclaimed the lead at 11:59 of the second period, as Finlay Carlson buried his first goal of the weekend to put the Soo ahead 3-2. Finlay Escasa and Dreyon Boissoneau assisted on the go-ahead tally. However, North Bay continued to battle, and at 15:04 of the third period, Phillippe Lafontaine knotted the game at 3-3 with his second goal of the playoffs. Montreuil and Carter Brownlee were credited with the assists.

With the game in the balance, Jacob Vincent emerged as the hero for the Soo. At 18:20 of the third, Vincent fired his first goal of the weekend past Trapper goaltender Graydon Joseph, giving the Greyhounds a 4-3 lead with Adam Pszeniczny assisting on the play. North Bay pulled their goalie for an extra attacker in the final minute, but Vincent sealed the victory with an unassisted empty-net goal with 50 seconds remaining, securing a 5-3 win for the Greyhounds.

With the hard-fought victory, the Soo U16 Greyhounds now set their sights on the 2025 GNU18HL playoff tournament in Timmins, Ontario, from March 12 to 16. They will join the North Bay U18 Trappers, Soo U18 Greyhounds, Sudbury U18 Wolves, and the host team, the Timmins Majors, in the battle for the league championship.