After winning game one of the Sault Ste Marie High School Hockey League best of three series 5 – 4 over the St Mary’s Knights on Monday, March 21st, the Korah Colts returned to the ice at the John Rhodes Centre on Thursday, March 24th for game two against the Knights.

With an ackward bounce off of a Korah defenseman skate to the left of Colt netminder Matthew Gagne’s net, Carter Lidstone was credited for the Knights first goal of the game at 13:34 of the opening period. From the left faceoff circle, Dylan Garson fires a wrist shot for a Korah unassisted goal 44 seconds before the midway mark of the period to pull the Colts even 1 – 1. At 8:46 with a scramble to the right of Gagne’s net Michael Starzomski slides the go-ahead goal under the Korah netminder to give St Mary’s a 2 – 1 lead. Nathan Palmer drew the lone helper on Starzomski’s goal. After a Colt turnover in between the faceoff circles 7:10 into the period and St Mary’s shorthanded, Daniel Bumbaco brings the Knights lead to 3 – 1 with rifling a wrist shot past Gagne. With 95 seconds remaining in the period, Christian Omollo was awarded the Knights fourth after a bounce off of a Korah defenseman’s skate to increase the lead to 4 – 1. One minute into the second period from the top of the left faceoff circle Korah’s Ronan Provenzano closes the gap to two with a slapshot with an unassisted Colts goal.

Bumbaco sinks his second of the game at 9:14 on the second on a Knights’ powerplay from in between the faceoff circle with a wrist shot over Gagne’s blocker to bring the lead to 5 – 2. Nathan Keranen pulls the Colts within two with finding the back of Knights goaltender Jaxon Alexander net through his five hole at 6:08 with Cole Arruda notching the assist on Korah’s third and final goal of the contest. Bumbaco registers a hat trick with the Knights sixth of the game to give St Mary’s a 6 – 3 lead with 1:31 left in the second period. Luca Spadafora setup Bumbaco’s third of the game. At 3:31 of the third, Kyle Scarfone brings the lead to 7 – 3 on a breakaway with an unassisted goal for the Knights’. With 2:41 remaining in the game, Bumbaco picks up a rebound to the right of Gagne’s net to score his fourth of the contest with Nick Kelly earning the contributor on Bumbaco’s goal.

“Stick to the game plan, be ready to compete and bring our best game on Monday,” said Colts coach Chris Perri.

St Mary’s forward Daniel Bumbaco told Saultsports that “after losing that first game all the boys knew we had a job to do, and we came prepared and got the job done. We must come into Monday’s game with the same mindset of getting pucks deep and winning every puck battle. Feels great to get a hat trick but now I gotta focus for the next one.”

“We have to continue to utilize our speed and get pucks deep. I liked our energy, now we have to continue doing the little things like zone entry and getting net traffic. We have to earn it. Our boys will be ready,” said Knights coach Frank Medgalia.

Visit Bob Davies photo gallery of game two of the playoff between the Knights versus Colts in high school hockey action.

Game three and final game of the best of three series and tied 1 – 1 each, the Colts face the Knights on March 28th at the John Rhodes Centre in a 3:30 p.m puck drop.