RED LAKE, Ont. – Last season’s Superior International Junior Hockey League rookie of the year in Keighan Gerrie of the Thunder Bay North Stars made an impressive statement to kick off his sophomore campaign by scoring four times, including a natural hat trick in the first period, to help propel his team to a 6-4 victory over the Red Lake Miners Friday night at Cochenour Arena.
Both clubs came out clicking offensively in the first frame with two tallies apiece with Ryan Patterson and Bailey Hartman connecting for Red Lake while rookie Matthew Halushak and Gerrie countered for Thunder Bay.
After Kyle Uzelman notched his first SIJHL marker for the Miners at 4:36 of the second, Cole Turbide drew the North Stars level eight minutes into the session.
Gerrie took over from there by striking three times in the back half of the stanza to give the visitors a 6-3 lead after two periods of play.
An early man advantage effort by Red Lake’s Stratton Pickett brought the home side closer 63 seconds into the third, but Thunder Bay tightened up from there to pull out the road win.
Ryan Mignault and Joel Willan chipped in with three assists apiece to aid the North Stars’ offensive cause.
The Miners held the edge in shots on goal by a 44-36 count with Dougie Newhouse picking up the win while Vince Benedetto suffered the loss.
Photo credit: Ben Jossinet