SUPERIOR INTERNATIONAL JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
SIJHL COMMUNICATIONS
MEDIA UPDATE
Release Date: Friday, March 14, 2014
SIJHL playoff preview
THUNDER BAY, Ont. – Postseason play in the Superior International Junior Hockey League gets underway this weekend, including two games tonight as the member clubs begin their quest for the Bill Salonen Cup..
The following is a preview on each of the three first round series:
SERIES A
1 vs. 2 Showdown (Two-game, total-goal series)
No. 1 Fort Frances Lakers vs. No. 2 Thunder Bay North Stars
Winner earns the right to choose semifinal opponent
Game 1: Saturday, March 15 @ Thunder Bay 7:30 p.m. (Fort William Gardens)
Game 2: Friday, March 21 @ Fort Frances 7:30 p.m. (Ice for Kids Arena)
THE MATCH-UP: The 1 vs. 2 Showdown features the top two teams in the regular season standings. … Fort Frances was first overall with a franchise-record 96 points while Thunder Bay was second with 85 points. … The Lakers won the season series between the two sides winning six times against four defeats. … The line-ups feature the top six point producers in the SIJHL with Lucas Debenedet leading Fort Frances and all skaters in the league in points with 112. … Daniel Del Paggio topped Thunder Bay offensively with 105 points, which was the second-best total in the SIJHL. … The duo, along with the Lakers’ Mason Meyer, were CCM first team-stars. … Zach Grzelewski and Matthias Gardiman, along with Lyndon Lipinski of the Fort earned CCM second team nods at forward. … Lakers’ D-man Cody Wickstrom was selected a CCM first team all-star on defence while Tim Cavar was second teamer on the blueline for Thunder Bay. … The North Stars Eric Mann was the CCM first team all-star and Jordan Cartney of Fort Frances garnered second team laurels. … Wayne Strachan of Fort Frances was the CCM first team all-star at coach and general manager while Thunder Bay bench boss Jeremy Adduono was a CCM second all-star coach. … Dale Cooper and Dwayne Sinclair of the Lakers were named co-first team all-stars at trainer and equipment manager. Both clubs were rated in the final Canadian Junior Hockey League top 20 rankings of the season with Fort Frances being tabbed fifth overall and Thunder Bay 15th.
SERIES B
Quarter-final (Best-of-seven)
No. 3 Minnesota Iron Rangers vs. No. 6 Wisconsin Wilderness
Game 1: Friday, March 14 @ Minnesota 7 p.m. (Hoyt Lakes Arena)
Game 2: Sunday, March 16 @ Minnesota 3 p.m. (Hoyt Lakes Arena)
Game 3: Wednesday, March 19 @ Wisconsin 7 p.m. (Spooner Ice House)
Game 4: Friday, March 21 @ Wisconsin 7 p.m. (Spooner Ice House)
Game 5*: Saturday, March 22 @ Minnesota 7 p.m. (Hoyt Lakes Arena)
Game 6*: Monday, March 24 @ Wisconsin 7 p.m. (Spooner Ice House)
Game 7*: Tuesday, March 25 @ Minnesota 7 p.m. (Hoyt Lakes Arena)
*-if necessary
THE MATCH-UP: The Iron Rangers dominated the season series between the two sides going 11-0-0-1 overall in 12 meetings. … Minnesota finished third in the league standings and Wisconsin was sixth. … The Iron Rangers scored nearly a 100 more goals than the Wilderness with Wisconsin allowing a league-worst 327 against on the season. …Minnesota scored a SIJHL-high 20 shorthanded goals. …Trevor Hoth, Jason Reynolds and Matt O’Dea were one, two, three in team scoring with 58, 55 and 54 points respectively. … O’Dea also led the league in game-winning goals with nine. … Minnesota’s Evan Erickson paced the SIJHL in short-handed markers with seven. … Darrick Howard was the top point getter for the Wilderness with 47, including 18 goals. … Alex Rezansoff led Wisconsin in goals with 20. …Iron Rangers’ goaltenders Erick Marjerle and Alx Reichle were both in the top five in the league in goals-against average and save percentage. … The duo combined 34 wins. … Minnesota had a franchise-best 36 victories this season.
SERIES C
Quarter-final (Best-of-seven)
No. 4 English River Miners vs. No. 5 Dryden Ice Dogs
Game 1: Friday, March 14 @ English River 7 p.m. (Ear Falls Arena)
Game 2: Sunday, March 16 @ English River 3 p.m. (Ear Falls Arena )
Game 3: Wednesday, March 19 @ Dryden 7:30 p.m. (Memorial Arena)
Game 4: Thursday, March 20 @ Dryden 7:30 p.m. (Memorial Arena)
Game 5*: Saturday, March 22 @ English River 7 p.m. (Ear Falls Arena)
Game 6*: Monday, March 24 @ Dryden 7:30 p.m. (Memorial Arena)
Game 7*: Wednesday, March 26 @ English River 7 p.m. (Ear Falls Arena)
*-if necessary
THE MATCH-UP: The two sides could not be any closer entering the playoffs. Both English River and Dryden finished with identical 21-30-5-0 records in regular season play. … The Miners earned the higher seed by winning the season series between the two clubs 6-5. … The Ice Dogs scored 25 more goals than English River during the season, but Dryden also allowed 45 more goals against. … Pizza Hut player of the year finalist John Morales paced the Miners offensively with 62 points, including a team-high 30 tallies. … Vincent Currao was next with 56 points followed by Brendan Wilde with 45. … Dane Feeney led Dryden in scoring during the regular season with 66 points. He also topped the Ice Dogs in goals with 30. … Chris Varrin was second on the squad with 50 points followed by Zach Kercz with 46. … Blueliner Tim Kavanaugh led all SIJHL defencemen in point-per-game average at 0.89 per outing. … P.D. Melgoza and Greg Harney collected 21 wins between them in the Miners’ net. … Shayne Dietl led Dryden in wins with eight.