SUPERIOR INTERNATIONAL JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
SIJHL COMMUNICATIONS
MEDIA UPDATE
Release Date: Friday, Dec. 20, 2013
North Stars edge Iron Rangers in OT; Miners complete sweep while Lakers slam Ice Dogs
THUNDER BAY, Ont. – A trio of Superior International Junior Hockey League games Friday saw Thunder Bay edge Minnesota in overtime, English River defeat Wisconsin and Fort Frances demolish Dryden.
THUNDER BAY NORTH STARS 5 MINNESOTA IRON RANGERS 4 (OT) – A Brandon Wolframe power play goal 3:53 into overtime propelled the North Stars past the visiting Iron Rangers at Fort William Gardens.
Each side had man advantage efforts in the opening period with Bryce Martin scoring for Thunder Bay and Jason Reynolds for Minnesota.
The North Stars then took a 2-1 lead after 40 minutes as affiliate Brad Arabia found the back of the net at 11:41 in his 2013-14 SIJHL debut.
An offensively-filled third saw the two sides combine for five goals that saw the Rangers rally to force OT.
After Zach Grzelewski made 3-1 in the first minute of the stanza, Thomas Fazio brought the visitors closer at 6:29.
Thunder Bay looked to take control midway through the session as Daniel Delpaggio put his team up two, but Minnesota answered back on efforts by Matt O’Dea and Matt Audet 12 seconds apart to force OT.
However Wolframe won it for the North Stars from in close as he finished off the work of Delpaggio and captain Trevor Hynnes to notch the game-winner.
Shots on goal were 32-30 in favour of the Iron Rangers with Eric Mann picking up the win and Erick Majerle the OT setback.
ENGLISH RIVER MINERS 5 WISCONSIN WILDERNESS 2 – Greg Harney made 31 saves to help the Miners complete a two-game sweep of the Wilderness at Ear Falls Arena.
English River jumped out to a 2-0 lead after 20 minutes on goals by Vincent Currao and John Morales.
A high-scoring middle session saw the two sides combine for five tallies to account for the rest of the game’s markers.
Alex Rezansoff made it 2-1 60 seconds in the second only to see the home side respond with three man advantage efforts to go up 5-1 thanks Devan Vander Wyk and a pair by Morales to complete a hat-trick.
Darrick Howard added one late in the period to conclude the scoring.
The Miners fired 37 shots on Wisconsin netminder Griffin Strain in a losing cause.
FORT FRANCES LAKERS 14 DRYDEN ICE DOGS 0 – The most lopsided game in the SIJHL this season saw the league-leading Lakers pound the Ice Dogs at Ice for Kids Arena.
Fort Frances stormed out to an amazing 7-0 lead after 16:13 of the opening period in the romp.
Included in the offensive onslaught was a natural hat-trick by Lucas Debenedet along with two tallies by Kevin Kurm and solo efforts by Hunter Leishman and Tanner Fricke.
The home side continued to pour it on in the middle stanza putting five more goals on the board.
Patrick Sofar and Brent Aiken had two apiece while Lyndon Lipinski supplied a single.
Fort Frances finished off the rout in the third with Mason Meyer and Bryce Lipinski getting in on the scoring parade.
Jordan Cartney made 22 saves to pick-up his second shutout of the season for the Lakers as he won for a SIJHL-high 15th time this season.
Shayne Dietl started for Dryden and suffered the loss. Terry Hughes also saw some time in the Ice Dogs net as the duo combined to face 43 shots in the loss.
The same two teams will meet again Saturday in the final game on the 2013 portion of the SIJHL schedule in a 7:30 p.m. start at Dryden’s Memorial Arena.