Posting a record of 1-2 in a season-opening three game northern road swing last weekend, Nickel City Sons head coach Joel Whissell has not seen his pre-season enthusiasm about his team diminished in the slightest.

"I may have understimated our youth," conceded Whissell, noting that while many of the GNML teams might carry anywhere from six to eleven third year midget players, the Sons can boast but two, including netminder Brayden Lachance.

"Overall, it was a pretty productive weekend," he added. "It took us a little while to get our feet wet at this level." The schedule kicked off with a tough matchup in New Liskeard last Friday as Marshal Nikitin snapped a 1-1 tie, scoring the game-winning goal with less than five minutes remaining in the contest.

Mackenzie MacMillan (Nickel City) and Gabriel Rheault (New Liskeard) traded second period markers as both goalies (Tyler Mazzocato and Lachance) kept the contest close.

The Sons surrendered three goals in just over three minutes late in the second period the next night, dropping a 5-3 decision to the Kapuskasing Flyers.

Five different players hit the mark for the homeside, with Chad Robert, Trevor Cheff, Martin Isabelle, Sam Vigneux and Derek Goulet all pulling the trigger.

MacMillan was on the scoresheet for a second straight game for Nickel City, joined this time around by André Frappier and Joel Grandbois.

Their Great North Midget League initiation behind them, the team comprised primarily of second year midgets outscored the Timmins Majors 6-4 Sunday afternoon at the MacIntyre Arena.

Connor Tessier paced the attack with a natural hat-trick in the third period, with Alex Smith, Broedy Bertrand and Grandbois also contributing offensively.

Dillan Bruce replied with a pair of goals in a losing cause, while Brett Andrews and Jace Soroko added one each. All in all, Whissell walked away pleased with what he saw.

"The guys never quit," he said. "There was an effort from start to finish. This is a good bunch of kids who want to learn." His teaching, he insists, will be as much about maintaining the proper mental approach as it will be tactical, in the early going.

"Getting them to bring a consistent game effort for the full sixty minutes," stated Whissell. The Sons were without the services of forward David Ranger for the first two games of the weekend due to a nagging injury, while forward Tyler Brisson missed all the action, serving out the final three games of a four-game suspension that dated back to the 2013-2014 GNML playoffs.