Minor Bantam Sons secure top seed for post-season play

The Nickel City Sons will be the team to beat when the Northern Ontario AAA Hockey League Minor Bantam playoffs kick off in two weeks.

The Sons clinched first place in the league with a three-game sweep of the Sudbury Wolves over the weekend, closing out the 2012-2013 regular-season campaign with one final head-to-head battle with their local rivals Feb. 14 at Carmichael Arena.

Nickel City holds an eight-point lead over the North Bay Trappers, with the latter already resting for post-season play.

The Sons set the tone for the troika of games, blasting Sudbury 8-3 Feb. 8 in Garson as Bradley Chenier and Nicholas Chokan paced the attack with two goals each.

Glenn Therrien, Ryan Boudreau, Ryan O'Bonsawin and Alex Rodrigue also found their way on to the scoresheet, while Félix Coté, Cameron Mostoway and Jacob Burton replied in a losing cause.

Battling again some 12 hours later at Cambrian Arena, the teams tightened up defensively as the Sons blanked the Wolves 4-0, with Brandon Soucy registering the shutout with a 19-save performance.

Therrien led the way with a pair of tallies, with Chenier and Chokan adding one each for the winners. Closing things out Feb. 10 at Carmichael, the Wolves stayed in the game until the third, trailing 4-3 before eventually falling 10-4.

Chenier led the way with four goals and an assist and now needs just one more point to overtake Brady Lyle of North Bay for the league scoring crown.

Chokan and Keegan Gillis-McAnulty chipped in with two goals apiece, while Alex Baronette and Boudreau capped off the offensive festivities.

Coté, Burton, Justin Lefrançois and captain Braedan Tulini answered for Sudbury, who will host the Timmins BMT Insurance North Stars in the first round 4th vs 5th best of three mini-series Feb. 23-24.