SUPERIOR INTERNATIONAL JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
SIJHL COMMUNICATIONS
MEDIA UPDATE
Release Date: Saturday, April 19, 2014
Cartney backstops Lakers to game 5 win
FORT FRANCES, Ont. – Facing a must-win situation the Fort Frances Lakers got a 24-save shutout from Jordan Cartney, who was making his second start of the playoffs, to backstop his club to a 2-0 triumph over the Minnesota Iron Rangers Saturday evening in game 5 of the Superior International Junior Hockey League Bill Salonen Cup final at Ice for Kids Arena.
With the victory the Lakers cut the Iron Rangers lead in the best-of-seven series to 3-2.
Minnesota has another opportunity to capture their first championship in franchise history Monday night in game 6, which goes at 7 p.m. at Hoyt Lakes Arena.
Should the Lakers come away victorious in the one, game 7 would go Wednesday in Fort Frances at 7:30 p.m.
Following a scoreless opening 20 minutes the home side got on the board in the second courtesy of a power play effort from Fort Frances defenceman Cameron Jackson at 9:22 as he pinched in a buried a rebound past Minnesota’s Alex Reichle.
The Lakers doubled their cushion late in the middle stanza as Patrick Sofer intercepted a pass in the neutral zone and skated down the right and fired a shot on Reichle that found its way to the stick of Hunter Leishman in the slot, who snapped one home notching his first of the postseason with 78 seconds left in the session.
Both goaltenders made quality stops the rest of the way to keep opposing shooters off the score sheet in the low scoring affair.
Cartney improved to 2-0 in playoffs for Fort Frances while Reichle finished with 30 saves in defeat for Minnesota as his postseason record slipped to 8-2 and a league-best .934 save percentage.
The SIJHL champion will advance to represent the league at the Dudley-Hewitt Cup Central Canada Jr. A championship April 29 through May 3 in Wellington, Ont.
They will join the title holders from the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League and the Ontario Junior Hockey League along with the host Wellington Dukes (OJHL) at the five-day event.
The Kirkland Lake Gold Miners currently lead the NOJHL final vs. the Soo Thunderbirds 3-1 in their best-of-seven series, which resumes Sunday evening in Sault Ste. Marie.
Meanwhile the Toronto Lakeshore Patriots are up 3-2 on the Aurora Tigers in the OJHL championship with game 6 in that set going Sunday night.
Series F
SIJHL finals for the Bill Salonen Cup
No. 1 Fort Frances Lakers vs. No. 3 Minnesota Iron Rangers
Iron Rangers lead best-of-seven series 3-2
Game 1: Fort Frances 1 Minnesota 0 (2 OT)
Game 2: Minnesota 3 Fort Frances 2
Game 3: Minnesota 5 Fort Frances 4 (2 OT)
Game 4: Minnesota 3 Fort Frances Lakers 0
Game 5: Fort Frances 2 Minnesota 0
Game 6: Monday, April 21 @ Minnesota 7 p.m. (Hoyt Lakes)
Game 7*: Wednesday, April 23 @ Fort Frances 7:30 p.m. (Ice for Kids)
*-if necessary