SUPERIOR INTERNATIONAL JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
SIJHL MEDIA UPDATE
Release Date: Saturday, March 26, 2016
Miners extend series with Game 3 win over Iron Rangers
HOYT LAKES, Minn. – Facing a must-win situation to keep their season going, the English River Miners used the strength of a five-goal second period to defeat the Minnesota Iron Rangers 7-3 Saturday in Game 3 of their Superior International Junior Hockey League quarter-final series at Hoyt Lakes Arena.
With the result, Minnesota now leads the best-of-five set 2-1 with English River forcing a Game 4 Monday at 7 p.m. at Cochenour Arena in Red Lake.
Each side traded tallies in the opening period with Alex Maticic giving the Miners the lead midway through the frame while Tristyn Sabina tied it for the Iron Rangers at 18:47.
English River came out flying in the middle stanza erupting for the five-goal outburst.
Maticic’s second of the night 1:35 into the second put the visitors in front for good.
Bryan Kromm and Hank Bouchard then struck 32 seconds to make it 4-1 before Sabina slammed home his second for the Iron Rangers during a power play at 8:29.
Konnar Dechaine answered that with back-to-back markers a minute and a half later as the visitors took a 6-2 cushion into the third.
In the final period Noah Bennett added one more for Minnesota at 6:30 before Nash Dabb rounded out the scoring for the Miners, via the man advantage, with 3:18 remaining.
Along with his goal, Kromm dished out three assists to aid the Miners cause while Brandon Schaber and Evan Armstrong had two helpers apiece.
Korlan Vader posted the victory for English River as he made 19 stops in the win.
Anthony Pupplo started for Minnesota and suffered the loss allowing four against on 20 attempts.
Kyle Carignan saved 15 of 18 in nearly 34 minutes of relief.
The winner of this series will take on the regular season-winning Fort Frances Lakers in a best-of-seven semifinal with the schedule for this still yet to be determined.
The other league semifinal match-up features the No. 2 Dryden GM Ice Dogs taking on the No. 3 Thunder Bay North Stars in another best-of-seven, which will get underway on April 2 at Dryden Memorial Arena.
All SIJHL playoff games are available online at FASTHockey.com.
SIJHL quarter-final schedule (Series A)
No. 4 Minnesota Iron Rangers vs. No. 5 English River Miners
Minnesota leads best-of-five series 2-1
Game 1: Minnesota 3 English River 2 (OT)
Game 2: Minnesota 5 English River 1
Game 3: English River 7 Minnesota 3
Game 4: Monday, March 28 @ English River 7 p.m. (Cochenour)
Game 5*: Wednesday, March 30 @ Minnesota (Hoyt Lakes)
*- if necessary