HOYT LAKES, Minn. – Dane Bateman scored once and doled out a trio of assists Friday to aid in a 7-2 triumph by the Fort Frances Lakers vs. the Minnesota Iron Rangers in a Superior International Junior Hockey League match-up at Hoyt Lakes Arena.
Fort Frances gained control early by taking a 3-0 lead after one period of play on tallies provided by Isaac Baron, Jacob Ruck and Ethan Knutsen.
The Lakers then tacked on two more in the middle session to extend their lead on Bateman’s fourth of the campaign, coming at even strength, and Kirk Coppock’s 12th, which was supplied shorthanded.
Minnesota got on the board at 16:28 of the session thanks to Garrett Wojcicki’s 10th only to see MacKenzie Flett answer that for the visitors a couple of shifts later.
Knutsen then added another with help from Coppock and Bateman to make it 7-1 in the third before the Iron Rangers’ Joshua connected on the power play in the late going to round out the night’s scoring.
Reece Hopfner chipped in with a pair of helpers for the winners.
Lakers’ netminder Jacob Gnidziejko made 21 saves to record the victory.
The Minnesota goaltending tandem of Synjen Amende and Nick Corneliusen both saw time between the pipes in defeat as they faced a combined 46 shots in the loss.
The same two teams will face-off again Saturday back in Hoyt Lakes at 7 p.m.