By James Brohm
The Sioux Lookout Bombers ended 2023 on a ten-game win streak. After the Christmas break, they were looking to stay the course. The Kenora Devil’s Gap Islanders were looking to leave 2023 in the rearview mirror and turn their season around.
It did not take the Bombers long to score their first of the new year. Rylan Leroux pick up his first of the season at 1:23 into the first frame. His point shot off of a clean faceoff win by Owen Cotter found its way through traffic for the game’s first goal. Sioux Lookout powerplay went to work early with a goal by Blake Burke at 3:57, assisted by Dayvan Bull and Connor Burke. Bull’s shot/pass from the point was redirected by Burke in behind Connor Dunham-Fox just 8 seconds into the man-advantage. Shots in the first period favoured the Islanders 14-8 but Matthew Spencer-Dahl was able to shut the door and keep the Bombers ahead by 2 going into the intermission.
The Islanders came out to play in the second period. Just 38 seconds into the period, Kenora’s Captain Aaron Bertschinger put a hard shot off Spencer-Dahl’s blocker that went straight up in the air and dropped behind the Bombers’ netminder to bring the Islanders within one goal. The Islanders, capitalized on the momentum shift and scored again to tie the game at 2:12. John Paul Scaringi brought the puck into the zone, drove wide of the net and centred the puck for Chance Traverse waiting at the top of the crease. Traverse made a couple attempts and on his second whack at the puck was able to beat Matthew Spencer-Dahl. After giving up two early goals in the period, the Bombers responded. Ty Kirk bounced the puck off the post, then off of the back of Dunham-Fox’s leg and into the net to retake the lead at 4:05.
The Bombers owned the third period. Putting sustained pressure on the Islanders to keep and build on the lead. They averaged more than one shot per minute on goal and scored for more times. Connor Burke jumped on a loose puck in front at 1:08 to make it 4-2. Tait Howell extended the lead with his tenth of the year. Finishing off some beautiful passing by Jonah Smith and Bradley Thompson, he beat Dunham-Fox clean on the blocker side at 7:15. Jonah Smith scored short-handed on a delayed penalty. After being tripped up on the play he regained possession of the puck, made fantastic deke to get to the middle of the ice and perfectly placed shot over the blocker of the Islanders’ goalie. Ty Kirk put the icing on the cake with his second of the night with 15 seconds remaining in the period.
The Bombers were one for six on the power play with one shorthanded goal while the Islanders struggled with the man advantage coming up empty on 5 opportunities. Shots on goal were 51-37 in favour of the Islanders. Matthew Spencer-Dahl was the third star picking up his seventh win of the year. Ty Kirk, with two goal and an assist was the second star and Rylan Leroux was the games first star, getting his first goal of the season and helper as well.
The teams are back at the Hangar Saturday night for game two of the series which will also be the Bombers’ Hockey Fights Cancer night.