Photo Credit: Saultsports

After opening the 2026 Sault Ste. Marie Boy’s High School Hockey League best-of-five City Championship series with a 5-3 victory on February 24th, the Korah Colts returned to the ice at the John Rhodes Centre holding a 1-0 series advantage as they once again faced the St. Mary’s Knights in a pivotal Game Two matchup.

In a tightly contested defensive battle, both teams were held off the scoresheet through the opening 40 minutes. Strong positional play and steady goaltending at both ends kept the game deadlocked at 0-0 heading into the third period, setting the stage for a dramatic finish.

The Colts finally broke through at the 11:16 mark of the third period when Preston Miller notched his second goal of the playoffs to give Korah a 1-0 lead. Miller capitalized on crisp puck movement from Deago Campagna and Will Pusch, who were credited with the assists on the go-ahead marker.

Korah extended its lead to 2-0 at 7:30 of the third period when Max Battacchio scored his ninth goal of the playoffs. Battacchio’s unassisted effort provided valuable insurance and put the Colts firmly in control late in regulation.

The Knights refused to go quietly, cutting the deficit to 2-1 with a shorthanded goal at 4:39. Ethan Agawa recorded his third goal of the postseason, finishing a play set up by Tucker Bennett to bring St. Mary’s within one. Despite late pressure, the Knights were unable to find the equalizer.

In goal, Payton Melchoirre earned the win for the Colts with a composed performance between the pipes, while Aaron Juma stood strong for the Knights in a hard-fought loss.

St Mary’s coach Luc Provenzano told Saultsports that “we played a really good game – I thought it was our most complete game of the season. They got a really weird bounce on the first goal and then Max Battocchio just flat out willed their second goal in. We had our chances but when you don’t convert them it comes back to haunt you. We definitely have to find a way to generate more goals because you’re not winning many by putting one or two in the net. We knew going in this was going to be a tough series. Anyone who thought it wasn’t clear didn’t watch Korah this season. But take away their empty netter and each game has come down to a goal. We aren’t worried about being down two games. It honestly means nothing to us. Our singular focus is on the game at hand. Win the next one and then focus on the next one. Trust your process and keep working and the results will be what they will be.”

“I’m proud of this group and how far they have come. We lost the first month because of football so we are still cleaning some things up but we definitely like where we are. Now we just get ready for the next game and claw our way back into this one. They are going to try to finish us off but I’m sure come Sunday we will be ready,” added Provenzano.

With the victory, Korah now leads the best-of-five City Championship series 2-0 over St. Mary’s. Game Three is scheduled for Sunday, March 1st at the John Rhodes Centre, with puck drop set for 5:30 p.m. The Colts will look to close out the series, while the Knights aim to respond and extend their championship hopes.