Photo credit: Gary Moskalyk, The Chronicle-Journal
SUPERIOR INTERNATIONAL JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
SIJHL MEDIA UPDATE
Release Date: Friday, Dec. 11, 2015
Late Newhouse marker lifts North Stars past Iron Rangers
THUNDER BAY, Ont. – In a game that featured eight power play goals, it was the lone even strength effort of the night that was the decider as the Thunder Bay North Stars edged the Minnesota Iron Rangers 5-4 Friday in Superior International Junior Hockey League play at the Fort William Gardens.
You knew it was going to be a long night for the penalty kill units on both sides as the two teams combined for five man advantage efforts in the opening 20 minutes.
McKenzie Gray got Minnesota going at 3:09 with his first SIJHL tally.
Brendan Gillis and Newhouse struck two minutes apart for Thunder Bay to give them their initial lead of the night.
The Iron Rangers countered with a pair of extra man efforts of their own to go up 3-2 after one period of play on goals by Tyler Lindstrom and another by Gray.
The lone marker in the middle frame was proved by the North Stars’ Cashen Tighe as he connected on the power play at 5:49.
Minnesota went back up by one 7:19 into the third with their fourth man advantage marker of the night as Jacob Shannon supplied his second goal of the campaign.
Thunder Bay came back to tie a little under three minutes after that as they collected their fourth on the power play with Tighe collecting his second of the night.
Then with overtime looming, Newhouse won it for the home side late as his even strength effort eluded Iron Rangers’ starter Kyle Carignan with 1:46 to go.
The North Stars held on from there and put an end to a modest two-game winless drought.
Bryce Martin dished out three assists for the winning side with Avery Siau and Gillis having two helpers apiece.
John Cuni, Dalton Johnson and Eric Madison supplied two assists each for Minnesota.
Shots on goal in the contest were 34 apiece with Eric Mann picking up the win and Carignan the loss.