A busy run of youth hockey events in Ely continues this weekend and next, and a home team dominated the most recent event in town.
Ely’s Pee Wee team continued a magnificent season by sweeping four games and winning the Ely Howler event held Jan. 30-Feb. 2.
This weekend, eight teams will gather for Mite and Mini-Mite events to be held at the Ely Arena, and the grand finale comes the weekend of Feb. 13-15 when the Pee Wees are back on the home ice for the district playoffs.
In Pee Wee action last weekend, Ely opened with an 8-1 win over Chisago Lakes and followed Saturday with 8-1 and 7-4 victories, respectively, over Roseau and Mankato, That set the stage for Sunday’s championship game and a 10-0 Ely win over International Falls.
Connor Macho was high scorer for the Wolves over the weekend, with 10 goals and six assists.
Nolan Niskala (six goals, nine assists) followed, with Hayden Engen (eight goals, six assists) and Toren Harding (five goals, five assists) also reaching double-digits in points for the weekend.
Between the pipes, Oliver Kochendorfer was in goal the entire weekend, notching the shutout in the title game and yielding only six goals overall for the tournament.
Earlier this year, Ely also took second at the Hermantown and Great Lake Skate tournaments and the team, which consists of players from fifth through eighth grade, has compiled a 23-5-2 record.
Teams from Hastings, St. Mary’s Point and Superior were also in the Ely event.
In addition to the games, the Blue Line-coordinated event included raffles with several game sponsors: Robinson Lake Trucking, Grand Ely Lodge, Boathouse Brewpub, the Macho family and the Niskala/Engen Family.
Ely’s Mite and Mini-Mite Howler is now in its 10th season.
Both the Ely arena and Babbitt’s Ron Castellano Arena will be filled with action both Saturday and Sunday, with 24 games overall between the two days.
The schedule includes: Saturday/Ely (Mini-Mite) 9 a.m. Ely vs. Duluth Heights Black; Mesabi East vs. Duluth Heights Green; 10:30 a.m. - Rock Ridge Black vs. Woodland, Rock Ridge Blue vs. Twig; 4:30 p .m. - D uluth Heights Green vs. Twig, Duluth Heights Black vs. Mesabi East; 6 p.m. - Ely vs. Rock Ridge Black, Woodland vs, Rock Ridge Blue; Saturday/Babbitt (Mite) 9 a.m. - Ely vs. Rock Ridge Yellow; 10:30 a.m. - Rock Ridge Green vs. Duluth Heights; 12 noon - Rock Ridge Yellow vs. International Falls Gold; 1:30 p.m. - Ely vs. International Falls Purple; 3 p.m. - International Falls Gold vs. Duluth Heights; 4:30 p.m. - International Falls Purple vs. Rock Ridge Green; Sunday/Ely (Mite) 8 a.m. - Rock Ridge Yellow vs. International Falls Purple; 9:30 a.m.- Ely vs. Duluth Heights; 11 a.m. - Rock Ridge Green vs. International Falls Gold; 12:30 p.m. - Duluth Heights vs. International Falls Purple; 2 p.m. - Rock Ridge Yellow vs. Rock Ridge Green; 3:30 p.m. - Ely vs. International Falls Gold; Sunday/Babbitt (Mini-Mite) 9 a.m.- Duluth Heights Black vs. Rock Ridge Black; Duluth Heights Green vs. Rock Ridge Blue; 10:30 a.m. - Ely vs. Twig, Mesabi East vs. Woodland; 12 noon - Rock Ridge Blue vs. Duluth Heights Black, Rock Ridge Black vs. Duluth Heights green 1:30 p.m. - Ely vs. Woodland, Twig vs. Mesabi East.
