SUPERIOR INTERNATIONAL JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
SIJHL MEDIA UPDATE
Release Date: Friday, April 8, 2016
Photo credit: Gary Moskalyk, The Chronicle-Journal
Dryden win away from SIJHL final after OT triumph over Thunder Bay in Game 4
THUNDER BAY, Ont. – Capitalizing on a costy turnover Matthew Pitchenese was the hero as the Dryden GM Ice Dogs defeated the Thunder Bay North Stars 5-4 in overtime Friday in Game 4 of their Superior International Junior Hockey League semifinal series at the Fort William Gardens.
With the result the GM Ice Dogs now lead the best-of-seven affair 3-1 heading into Game 5, which goes Sunday afternoon at 3 p.m. CT at Dryden Memorial Arena.
It was the visitors who began the scoring in Game 4 during an early two-man advantage as Joe Carney one-timed a low blast from the left point that beat Thunder Bay starter Riley Corbin.
The North Stars came back and tied it at 11:06 during a two-man advantage of their own as the SIJHL’s leading goal scorer during the course of the regular season in Nicholas Nigro hammered one from the point point that blew by GM Ice Dogs netmidner Taylor Unruh.
Thunder Bay took the lead four seconds into a power play as Kris Hamlin wristed one high past Unruh from the identical spot of Nigro’s marker.
Dryden notched the equalizer while shorthanded as Kent Walchuk swiped the puck off a North Stars forward, cut to the left face-off dot and used a defender as a screen and snapped a quick shot the beat Corbin at 18:07.
The visitors kept coming and took a 3-2 lead after one after breaking out on a two-on-one, Nic Noseworthy broke in alone on the Thunder Bay and deftly tucked one between the legs of Corbin with 23 seconds to go.
It stayed that way until the final minute of the second stanza when the GM Ice Dogs capitalized on a North Stars turnover late that resulted in Nathan Avery chipping one past the outstretched pad of Corbin from the left side at 19:25.
Thunder Bay rallied in the latter stages of the third to knot the affair at 4-4 and force OT starting with a Brendan Gillis man advantage marker at 11:08.
They then tied it with 3:56 to go in regulation as Zac Glowatch chipped in the equalizer past a sprawled Unruh from the side of the crease.
In the extra session, another North Stars giveaway proved to be their undoing as Noseworthy scooped an errant back pass from behind the net and promptly fired the puck out front to a waiting Pitchenese who fired home the game-winner at 3:52 of OT.
Dryden outshot Thunder Bay 44-29 on the night with Unruh picking up the win and Corbin the loss.
The winner of the series will meet the Fort Frances Lakers in the SIJHL Bill Salonen Cup final.
SIJHL semifinal schedule (Series C)
No. 2 Dryden GM Ice Dogs vs. No. 3 Thunder Bay North Stars
Dryden leads best-of-seven series 3-1
Game 1: Dryden 3 Thunder Bay 2 (OT)
Game 2: Dryden 6 Thunder Bay 3
Game 3: Thunder Bay 3 Dryden 2
Game 4: Dryden 5 Thunder Bay 4 (OT)
Game 5: Sunday, April 10 @ Dryden 3 p.m. (Memorial)
Game 6*: Tuesday, April 12 @ Thunder Bay 7:30 p.m. (Gardens)
Game 7*: Friday, April 15 @ Dryden 7:30 p.m. (Memorial)
*- if necessary