SUPERIOR INTERNATIONAL JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
SIJHL MEDIA UPDATE
Release Date: Saturday, Oct. 1, 2016
Photo credit: Joey Payeur, Fort Frances Times
North Stars improve to 4-0 with decision over winless Lakers
FORT FRANCES, Ont. – A pair of Nicholas Nigro goals in the first period helped send the Thunder Bay North Stars on their way to their fourth consecutive Superior International Junior Hockey League victory Saturday as they defeated the Fort Frances Lakers 6-5 at Ice for Kids Arena.
Thunder Bay jumped out to a 2-0 lead after 20 minutes on Nigro’s fifth and sixth markers of the season.
Fort Frances rebounded in the first half of the second stanza to knot the affair as 2-2 thanks to the first SIJHL tallies for Matt Cheetham and Jared Virtanen.
The North Stars came right back however as Zack Glowatch put the visitors back on top just 42 seconds after Virtanen’s effort.
Matt Tustin would tie it at 3-3 at 12:06, but once again Thunder Bay countered on a Brad Thrower goal just over three minutes later to make it 4-3 after two.
The North Stars came out strong to begin the third as they struck twice before the frame was five minutes in on markers from Kris Hamlin and Shayne McKay.
It stayed 6-3 until the final minute when the Lakers scored twice to pull within one, but that’s as close as they would get before time ran out.
Maverick Lynes with his first at 19:12 and another by Tustin with five seconds to go accounted for the late Fort Frances scoring.
Joe Newhouse dished out two assists to help the North Stars offensive cause.
Nathaniel Dupuis made 41 saves to record the win.
Brandon Bodnar faced 47 shots for the Lakers who fell to 0-3 to begin the season.
The same two teams meet again Sunday back in Fort Frances with game time set for 4:45 p.m.