Finalists Peewee rep Knights start their play with hockey tournament

The 2006-'07 season started early for the NobleKing Knights major peewee A rep team, as they competed in a pre-season tournament last weekend at the CanLan ice complex in Etobicoke.

The Knights came out strong in the first match Friday evening with a convincing 5-0 win over the Sand Man Penguins. Goals were scored by Victor Mifsud (with two), Steven Gianfrancesco, Steven Peressini and Thomas Beretta, and that all resulted in more than the Penguins could handle.

Ben Rossetto was flawless in net and put up his first shutout of the season.

The second game, against the Duffield Devils, was close, but the Devils handed the Knights their first loss of the season with a score of 4- 3. Goals by Gianfrancesco, Robbie Pizzicarola and Mifsud weren't enough to hold of the offensively strong Devils. Great goal tending by Rossetto ensured the Knights stayed in the game to the last second.

The third outing was a nail-biter against the BFLBears, but the Knights came out on top 6-5 by the end of the third period. Mifsud and Austin Maggiacomo each contributed a pair of goals, while Steven Peressini and Thomas Beretta added singles. The game saw another

strong performance by Rossetto between the pipes, as NobleKing handed the Bears their only loss of the tournament and allowed them to go on to the championship game Sunday.

The Knights were pumped going into the title game Sunday morning against the Devils, who they had already faced, but by the end of the first period, they were trailing by a goal.

By the end of the second period, the game was tied 2- 2 thanks to goals by Maggiacomo, who scored on a nice low shot underneath the opposing goal tender, and Brenden Ottaway, who let a blast go from the point towards the end of the second period that found its way into the Devils net.

Despite their best efforts, the Knights came up short by the end of the third period and lost 4-2. The on-ice battle

in the final game could have gone either way, with strong efforts from both sides.

The Knights took home second place for the tournament.

Head Coach Brian Else and the rest of the coaching staff were encouraged by the teams efforts early on in the season.