Melchiorre Stands Tall in Shutout Victory Over Knights to Open 2025 Portion of High School Hockey Season -

Photo Credit: Freeze Frame Photos

On Monday, January 6th, the Korah Colts wasted no time in making a statement as they opened the 2025 portion of the 2024-2025 Sault Ste. Marie High School Hockey League season with a dominant 12-0 victory over the St. Mary’s Knights at the Northern Community Centre. With an impressive 9-1 record heading into the game, the Colts, sitting comfortably in first place, showed why they are the team to beat this season, overwhelming the Knights, who entered the matchup with a 6-7 record and sitting in third place.

The game started fast and furious, with the Colts taking control early. Korah’s first goal came just minutes into the game, as Preston Miller found the back of the net for his fifth of the season to give the Colts a 1-0 lead. Tyler Lang extended the lead to 2-0, firing in his sixth goal of the season, unassisted. The Colts kept the pressure on, and midway through the first period, Deago Campagna made it 3-0, scoring his eighth goal of the season.

The second period saw more of the same as the Colts’ offense kept firing on all cylinders. Maxim Battachio added a powerplay goal to increase the lead to 4-0, marking his second of the season. Colton Greene followed up with his second goal of the season to make it 5-0. Preston Miller then scored his second of the game and sixth of the season to give Korah a commanding 6-0 lead.

Samuel Caruso kept the momentum rolling, scoring his third point of the game and his fifth of the season to give the Colts a 7-0 lead. The scoring didn’t stop there, as Ethan Ferguson netted his second of the game, bringing his season total to six goals and pushing the lead to 8-0. Griffin Albert then got in on the action, scoring his second of the game and eighth of the season to make it 9-0.

The floodgates remained open heading into the third with Ferguson capping off his strong performance with his fifth goal of the season to extend the lead to 10-0. Hayden Joseph scored his first of the season to give the Colts an 11-0 advantage, and Tyler Lang sealed the deal with his seventh goal of the season, making it 12-0.

In net for the Knights, Grant Mathewson was in goal for the opening six goals, before being replaced by Joey Koprash, who allowed the next six. The St. Mary’s defense struggled to keep up with the relentless offensive attack from the Colts, leaving both goalies with little chance to make a stop.

The Colts’ dominant performance showcased their depth and skill, with contributions from nearly every player on the roster. As the top team in the league, Korah will look to carry this momentum into their next game, which will be a midweek showdown against the Superior Heights Steelhawks at the Northern Community Centre. That game is scheduled for Wednesday, January 8th, at 3:30 p.m.

Meanwhile, the St. Mary’s Knights will look to bounce back from the heavy defeat in their next contest, facing the White Pines Wolverines on Thursday, January 9th, at the John Rhodes Centre, also at 3:30 p.m. The Knights will need to regroup and refocus if they hope to get back into the playoff picture in the second half of the season.

Goals By Period
1st Period
(12:19) Korah Colts – Preston Miller (Samuel Caruso/Colton Greene)
(05:30) Korah Colts – Tyler Lang (Unassisted)
(03:57) Korah Colts – Deago Campagna (Samuel Caruso)

2nd Period
(14:15) Korah Colts – Maxim Battachio (Colton Greene) (PP)
(10:36) Korah Colts – Colton Greene (Koen Manchulenko)
(04:41) Korah Colts – Preston Miller (Nathan Guizzietti)
(03:11) Korah Colts – Samuel Carsuo (William Pusch)
(01:38) Korah Colts – Ethan Ferguson (Preston Miller/Koen Manchulenko)
(00:30) Korah Colts – Griffin Albert (Tucker Deschamps)

3rd Period
(08:30) Korah Colts – Ethan Fergsuon (Unassisted)
(05:30 Korah Colts – Hayden Joseph (Unassisted)
(02:20) Korah Colts – Tyler Lang (Koen Manchulenko)