Photo credit: Clint Bruyere
SUPERIOR INTERNATIONAL JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
SIJHL MEDIA UPDATE
Release Date: Thursday, Nov. 12, 2015
Fort Frances edges Dryden in high-scoring affair
FORT FRANCES, Ont. – Nick Minerva had the deciding tally in a lengthy nine-player aside shootout as the Fort Frances Lakers got by the Dryden GM Ice Dogs 7-6 in a Superior International Junior Hockey League match-up Thursday at Ice for Kids Arena.
There was plenty of offense throughout starting with five goals alone in the opening period.
Dryden got on the board first 59 seconds into the contest on a Troy Williams effort.
Fort Frances answered that with power play markers 56 seconds apart by Brandon Zajicek and Christian Ripley.
After the visitors’ Nic Noseworthy tied it at 7:30, the home side retook the lead at 15:43 courtesy of Julian Uhryniuk, which spelled the end of GM Ice Dogs starter Paul Laferriere’s night in favour of Taylor Unruh.
Both teams would score twice more in the second stanza with Jack Bernie and Andrew Willner connecting for Fort Frances while Noseworthy and Matt Houston picked up a pair of man advantage markers for Dryden.
Shakeel Ebrahim’s first SIJHL goal drew the GM Ice Dogs level 8:20 into the third period.
The Lakers went back in front at 16:10 thanks to Ripley, but Dryden forced extra time with a Blake Berg power play tally with 1:58 left in regulation.
Overtime solved nothing extra shots were needed to decide a winner.
After a total of 18 attempts in the shootout, only Minerva and Willner scored for Fort Frances while Derek McPhail connected for Dryden to give the Lakers the win.
The triumph was the eighth in a row for the Lakers.
Shots on goal were 34-32 in favour of Fort Frances with Pierce Dushenko earning the victory.
Unruh suffered the setback for the GM Ice Dogs.