SUPERIOR INTERNATIONAL JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
SIJHL COMMUNICATIONS
MEDIA RELEASE
For Immediate Release: Friday, Feb. 22, 2013
Lakers and Wilderness Friday winners
THUNDER BAY, Ont. –The two hottest teams in the Superior International Junior Hockey League continued their winning ways Friday as the front-running Minnesota Wilderness and second place Fort Frances Lakers both posted victories.
FORT FRANCES LAKERS 4 DYRDEN ICE DOGS 3 (OT) – A Jon Carlson power play goal 52 seconds into overtime was the difference as the hometown Lakers edged visiting Dryden at Ice for Kids Arena.
The Ice Dogs were quick to strike in this one as Tyson Holder beat Fort Frances starter Talor Joseph just 52 seconds into the contest.
The Lakers responded however with tallies from Colton Spicer and Patrick Sofer to grab a 2-1 lead after 20 minutes.
Each side scored once in the middle stanza with Evan Capobianco finding the back of the net for Dryden and Patrick Sofer countering for the Fort as he connected on a power play opportunity.
It was Jesse Linner who slammed home the equalizer for the Ice Dogs with 6:33 remaining in regulation as he notched his 16th goal of the season to force extra time.
That set the stage for Carlson to be the hero as he bagged the game-winner early in OT.
Joseph finished up with 28 stops to register his seventh consecutive victory in a Lakers’ uniform.
Eric Szymczyk made 27 saves in a losing cause for Drdyen while helping his side pick up a point in the OT setback.
MINNESOTA WILDERNESS 9 THUNDER BAY NORTH STARS 3 – The first place Wilderness got a hat-trick from SIJHL leading scorer Mike Dietrich and four assists from Mike MacKinnon to lead them to the triumph over visiting Thunder Bay.
They stormed out to an early 6-0 lead in the opening period spelling an early end to North Stars’ starter Jayme Brattengeier who gave way to Mitchell Knight after the fifth Minnesota tally.
Dietrich with pair, Jake Larson, Jeremy Johnson, Joseph Drapluk and Nick Sova notched the markers in the first frame while Kris Kellaway countered late for Thunder Bay.
A couple of early man advantage markers by Tim Cavar and Kellaway in the second session gave the Stars some life, but Dietrich’s third of the night put the Wilderness back in control before the middle frame was out.
Nick McCormack and Larson rounded out the scoring in the third.
Shots on goal were 47 apiece with JoJo Jeanetta picking up the win while Brattengeier suffered the loss.
Knight stopped 30 of 34 in relief while Gordy Defiel stopped all seven attempts he saw in a seven-minute stint between the pipes for the Wilderness.