Gridlink Midget A Queens Bringing Home Chicago Gold, News (Thunder Bay Women's Hockey Association)

CHICAGO, IL — With a victory over Omaha in the Quarter Finals of the Winter Classic, the Gridlink Midget A Queens were paired up  in the semis on Monday morning against the Aurora Panthers, the 10th ranked team in Ontario (OWHA).

A 55-second span put the Queens up 2-0 in the first when Olivia Nicholl would score, finishing a series of plays from Sydnie Crocker and Sarah Grieve and then Kayla Stein scored right after. The second period drew no more goals. In the third, the Panthers would finally get on the board, cutting the lead to one. Goalie Mya Gowanlock and her team, though, clung to the one-goal lead, winning 2-1 and sending themselves to the championship finals.

In the other bracket sat the Northshore Warhawks and the K-Stars, who had previously beaten the Queens. It looked like Thunder Bay’s opportunity to meet the K-Stars again might come into alignment but it’d actually be the Warhawks defeating the K-Stars 3-2.

In the gold medal game, Northshore drew first blood scoring in the second period to make it 1-0, a lead that would hold until the third when Olivia Nicholl tied the game thanks to a play setup by Gaby Andreacchi. The Queens took the lead shortly after when Grieve scored (assist to Julia Buchan) and Thunder Bay struck again as Jada Lablanc setup Sibley Duckert for the Queens’ third answered goal in the third. Northshore drew closer, scoring late in the game but that’s all netminder Camryn Williams would allow as the Midget As won 3-2 and took home the 2019 Chicago Girls Winter Classic U19 Championship!

Over the tournament, the Gridlink Midget A Queens went 5-1-0, outscoring their opponents 16-7.