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Bantam Elite: Moving Day Sunday, Game Stories and Observations

By Tony Scott, 09/14/14, 10:45AM CDT

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HIghland's Ray Christy nets 2 big Goals to help Wings win BEL Title

Wings win Regular Seaon with a Sunday Sweep


Ray Christy with a top shelf goal against the Bruins Sunday.

Coming into Sunday the Red Wings controlled their own destiny. Win two games and they were the Bantam Elite League Champs. They had two tough games against the red hot Canadiens who a first round bye in their sights as well. 

The took out the Habs in game 1 (see below) 2-1 to clinch a first round bye and then knocked off the Bruins 4-2 in their second game to clinch the title. St. Paul's Ray Christy had the GWG in the first game and a pivotal goal in the second...both of the highlight reel variety.


Elk River's Connor Bizal scores for the Canadiens.

Game 1: Wings down Canadiens 2-1, Clinch top 2 Seed


Ben Beattie makes a last second save for the Wings Sunday

In a huge game with playoff implications - the Wings and Canadiens battled. In the first half, Elk River's Connor Bizal scored on the Power Play to give the Habs a 1-0 lead at the end of 1.  Cameron Smerkar stopped 22 shots for the Canadiens.

In the second half, the Wings came out flying. Ryan Lesko took a pretty stretch pass from Ben Almquist to set up a two on one. The Eden Prairie winger held it patiently until the last second as he fed it to Ben Ward for a tap in goal to tie it. Two minutes later on almost the exact same play, Ray Christy got a stretch pass from Joey Petronack and made a highlight reel move on the Canadiens Goalie for what amounted to be the game winning goal. 

Late in the game down 2-1 with the goalie pulled, the Canadiens pressured the Wings. With eight seconds left, Ben Beattie made a point blank save to insure the win for the Wings and first round bye in next weekend's BEL playoffs.

Game 2: Leafs fall to the Hawks 4-2.


Centennial's Lucas McGregor after the game with his free pizza.

Down to nine skaters, the Blackhawks came out and played inspired hockey. Lucas McGregor was the story the whole game for the Hawks. He had the first goal in the first four minutes and then added two more for the hat trick. Jeron Hirschfeld scored in his second day of the Bantam Elite League to round out the scoring for the Hawks who sit in last and are likely the team no one wants to play in the playoffs next weekend. Jacob Sibell and Keegan Kargi allowed two goals on 29 shots to hold down the fort for the undermanned Hawks.

Nathan Johannes and Tyler Dingmann added goals for the Leafs in a losing effort.

 

Game 3: Wings beat Bruins 4-2 to clinch BEL title


Kasan Kruse scores for the Wings on Sunday

Ryan Elder scored to start the game for the Bruins to give them the lead for most of the first half. As the game progressed, the Wings began to win the small battles and eventually got the game even when Ray Christy scored on the power play to tie the game at the half, 1-1.

Early in the second half, the Wings got the go ahead goal when White Bear's Joey Petronack fired a canon past Andy Beran. A few minutes later, hard worker Nate Bordson got a puck to sneak past Beran just over the goal line to give the Wings a 3-1 lead. Thirty seconds later, Kasan Kruse scored on the power play to cap off a nice weekend for the Luverne Winger. 

Nick Konkel and Ben Beattie turned away 20 of 22 shots to ice the win for the Wings.

Game 4: Canadiens down the Hawks to clinch third place


K'Andre Miller YHH Player of the Game with 2G/1A

The Canadiens came back and won their second game 6-3 over the Blackhawks. K'Andre Miller led the Habs with 2 goals and 1 assist. The Habs got out to a 3-1 lead at halftime thanks to Miller's two goals. 

In the second half, the Canadiens got out to a 4-1 lead when Soren Frakie scored on a pass from Connor Bizal who a goal and an assist. The Hawks made it close when scored on a tic tac to goal when Hayden Brickner scored to make it 5-3. Bizal's goal with under three minutes to go to ice it for the Canadiens.

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