SUPERIOR INTERNATIONAL JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
SIJHL COMMUNICATIONS
MEDIA RELEASE
Release date: Saturday, April 20, 2013
Lakers force game 6 in SIJHL final
CLOQUET, Minn. – Taylor Joseph turned stopped 54 of 55 shots he faced to back stop the Fort Frances Lakers to a 3-1 triumph over the Minnesota Wilderness Saturday night in game 5 of the Superior International Junior Hockey League’s Bill Salonen Cup final at Northwoods Credit Union Arena.
With the win the Lakers force a sixth game in the best-of-seven series as they now trail 3-2 heading into the next contest, which goes Monday at 7:30 p.m. at ’52 Canadians Arena at the Memorial Sports Centre in Fort Frances.
This arena is adjacent to the Lakers normal home venue, the Ice For Kids Arena, which is unavailable to a previously booked event in which the ice had to be taken out.
Like they did in game 4 Friday, the Lakers were first to strike on this night as Cody Wickstrom made a solid rush up the ice beat the Wilderness to the puck and fed Jordan Christianson who fired a quick back hand that beat Gordy Defiel at 3:46.
The Wilderness came close to tying it a few minutes later only to see the right pad of Joseph thwart Jordan Shockley on a partial break.
They did net the equalizer in the middle frame as Dan Divis intercepted a clearing attempt, skated over the blue line and snapped a shot that went eluded Joseph at 2:34.
Answering right back Fort Frances retook the lead 88 seconds later as Defiel was knocked clear of the net after a collision with one of his defenders and a Lakers forward, which allowed Owen Stauber to snap the eventual game-winner past a sprawling Wilderness rearguard to make it 2-1.
Early in the third and seconds after a major penalty call on Ben Michaud of the Wilderness, the Lakers added to their cushion as Wickstrom wristed a shot from inside the right point that was redirected in by Kevin Kurm past Defiel.
The Wilderness pulled their goaltender with two and half minutes to go in regulation, but could not get any closer while Fort Frances hit the post on an empty net on three occasions, but still pulled out the victory.
In defeat it marked the first time since Oct. 24 that the Wilderness has lost a game in regulation, which also came at the hands of the Lakers in Cloquet.
Defiel faced 27 shots in a losing cause for the home side.
Should a seventh and deciding game be required, it will go Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. at Northwoods Credit Union Arena.
The SIJHL champion will advance to the Dudley-Hewitt Cup Central Canada Jr. A championship in North Bay April 30 through May 4.
Bill Salonen Cup final schedule/results
Game 1: Wilderness 5 Lakers 1
Game 2: Lakers 2 Wilderness 1 (OT)
Game 3: Wilderness 4 Lakers 1
Game 4: Wilderness 5 Lakers 3
Game 5: Lakers 3 Wilderness 1
Game 6: Monday, April 22 @ Fort Frances 7:30 p.m. (Ice for Kids Arena)
Game 7*: Wednesday, April 24 @ Minnesota 7:30 p.m. (Northwoods Credit Union Arena)
*-if necessary