SIJHL COMMUNICATIONS
MEDIA RELEASE
Release Date: Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2012
Wilderness win 14th in a row
FORT FRANCES, Ont. – Danny Bartkowiak tallied twice to help lead the Minnesota Wilderness to a 4-2 victory over the Fort Frances Lakers Tuesday evening in Superior International Junior Hockey League play at Ice for Kids Arena.
Taking advantage of an early five-minute power play opportunity Minnesota grabbed the lead thanks to Nick McCormack’s seventh goal of the season 4:19 into the contest.
Fort Frances pulled level midway through the opening stanza as John Dora’s rising shot from the right point went high on Wilderness starter Gordie Defiel.
Dylan Haskins then set-up Bartkowiak for his two markers 2:22 apart to put their side up a pair after one period of play.
Following a scoreless middle stanza the Lakers pulled to with one early in the third as Dora connected on a near carbon copy of his first period effort snapping a shot from the right point past Defiel 1:19 into the session.
However Minnesota answered back less than a minute later as Brandon Zurick’s sharp angle attempt eluded Tanner Hamilton in the Fort Frances net.
The Lakers pulled their netminder in the final minute in favour of an extra attacker and came close to making it 4-3 only to see Defiel stone Jacob Nolan from in close with a big save in the waning moments of the contest.
With the win the Wilderness won for a 14th time in succession raising their record to a league-best 26-3.
The Lakers fell to 15-12-1-1 with the setback.
Shots on goal favoured the visitors 32-25 with Defiel picking up the win and Hamilton the loss.
SIJHL action resumes Wednesday on two fronts as the Thunder Bay North Stars host the Duluth Clydesdales and the Wilderness return home to take on the Minnesota Iron Rangers.