SUPERIOR INTERNATIONAL JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
SIJHL COMMUNICATIONS
MEDIA RELEASE
Release date: Friday, March 22, 2013
Lakers hold on to edge Ice Dogs to go up 2-0; Wilderness drop Iron Rangers in series opener
THUNDER BAY, Ont. – A double dose of Superior International Junior Hockey League playoff hockey Friday saw the Fort Frances edge the Dryden Ice Dogs 3-2 to go up 2-0 in their semifinal series while the Minnesota Wilderness opened their best-of-seven affair with the Minnesota Iron Rangers by skating to an 8-3 victory.
FORT FRANCES LAKERS 3 DRYDEN ICE DOGS 2 – The hometown Lakers built a 3-0 lead then withstood a late comeback bid by the Ice Dogs to pull out the victory at Ice for Kids Arena.
Davis Smith staked the Lakers to the early lead as he beat Dryden starter Eric Szymczyk 3:43 into the contest for the lone goal of the opening frame.
After a scoreless middle session, Fort Frances increased their lead four and half minutes into the third as Tyler Broderson connected on the power play to make it 2-0.
Then with the Lakers shorthanded late in regulation, Dryden pulled Szymczyk to gain an additional extra skater advantage, but Alex Bruess slipped the eventual game-winner into an open net to put Fort Frances up three.
The Ice Dogs, still on the power play, broke Talor Joseph’s shutout bid with 1:15 to go as Jesse Linner notched a man advantage marker.
Dryden continued to press and were rewarded with another goal with 11 seconds remaining as Austin Lewis snapped one over Joseph.
Time ran out however on the Ice Dogs as the clock expired to give Fort Frances the win and a 2-0 series lead heading into game 3 Monday evening at Dryden’s Memorial Arena. The opening face-off is slated for 7:30 p.m.
Owen Stauber had a pair of assists for the Lakers while Paul Thompson did likewise for the Ice Dogs.
Final shots on goal favoured Fort Frances by a 36-30 margin.
MINNESOTA WILDERNESS 8 MINNESOTA IRON RANGERS 3 – The Wilderness built up a 5-0 lead late in the second period, then had to withstand an Iron Ranger comeback attempt late in that session before finally pulling out the game 1 triumph at Northwoods Credit Union Arena.
SIJHL rookie of the year Jake Larson had an impressive postseason debut for the Wildernes notching a hat-trick and setting up two others in the victory.
Mike Dietrich, with a pair, along with singles by Joe Drapluk, Jordan Shockley and Eric Carlson accounted for the other Wilderness goals.
Michael MacKinnon also had a big night for the home team as he dished out five assists to aid the Wilderness offensive cause.
The Iron Rangers battled back after being down 5-0 by striking three times in a span of two minutes and 40 seconds, including one just as time was expiring in the middle stanza to make it interesting before eventually suffering the defeat.
Notching those tallies for the Iron Rangers were Jonathon Losurdo, Sawyer Jacobson and Joey Haydock.
The Wilderness outshot the Iron Rangers 37-25 on the night with Gordy Defiel picking up the win.
Chase Hollander started for the Iron Rangers and suffered the loss before giving way to Joe Rebedew midway through the contest.
The two sides meet again Saturday at 7:30 p.m. back in Cloquet for game 2 of the series.