SUPERIOR INTERNATIONAL JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
SIJHL MEDIA UPDATE
Release Date: Sunday, March 20, 2016
Arabia, Newhouse help North Stars upend Iron Rangers in regular season finale
HOYT LAKES, Minn. – The Thunder Bay North Stars got a hat trick from Brad Arabia and two goals and as many assists courtesy of Joe Newhouse to help propel them to a 7-4 victory over the Minnesota Iron Rangers Sunday at Hoyt Lakes Arena in the final game of the Superior International Junior Hockey League’s regular season.
Minnesota opened the scoring near the 12-minute mark of the first as Jake Ellingson notched his 17th of the campaign.
Thunder Bay would level the proceedings five minutes later, via the power play, as Nicholas Nigro buried his league-leading 32nd goal of the season.
Newhouse converted on an early man advantage opportunity in the middle session to put the visitors up by one only to see Alex Mimmack counter with a power play tally of his own at 9:18 to tie things up at 2-2.
Arabia came right back and put the North Stars back in front 76 seconds with his first of the evening.
Mimmack was back at it again for the Iron Rangers picking up his second of the evening and fifth overall at 12:50 to send the two teams to the intermission all even at 3-3.
Arabia’s put Thunder Bay back on top at 11:41 of the third with his 20th of the season while Newhouse added the North Stars fourth power play marker of the evening less than a minute later.
Tristyn Sabina pulled Minnesota back to within a goal while his side was up a man at 17:45.
The Iron Rangers pulled netminder Anthony Pupplo in an effort to draw closer, but Thunder Bay iced it with late empty net efforts from Arabia and Jesse Talakoski to round out the scoring.
Kenny Turner and Jake Robinson dished out two assists apiece for the Stars while Ellingson and Logan Froberg has two helpers each for the Rangers.
Riley Corbin made 36 saves and also picked up an assist to post the win for Thunder Bay.
Pupplo stopped 26 of 31 in defeat for Minnesota.
Next up will be the start of the SIJHL’s Bill Salonen Cup playoffs, which get underway Wednesday as the Iron Rangers and English River Miners begin a first round best-of-five set at Ear Falls Arena at 7 p.m.
Minnesota will then host Game 2 & 3 Friday and Saturday back in Hoyt Lakes in a pair of 7 p.m. starts
Game 4 if required goes March 28 at Cochenour Arena in Red Lake while the Iron Rangers would host a fifth and deciding contest, if necessary, on March 30. Both of those match-ups would also get underway at 7 p.m.