SUPERIOR INTERNATIONAL JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
SIJHL MEDIA UPDATE
Release Date: Friday, Jan. 22, 2016
Photo credit: Leith Dunick, tbnewswatch.com
Corbin stands tall as North Stars win 9th straight
THUNDER BAY, Ont. – The Thunder Bay North Stars rode the standout netminding of Riley Corbin Friday to win their ninth consecutive Superior International Junior Hockey League contest as the defeated the Dryden GM Ice Dogs 4-2 at the Fort William Gardens.
Special teams allowed the visiting GM Ice Dogs to grab the early lead as they struck shorthanded 2:10 in as Kent Walchuk stuffed a loose puck past a sprawled Corbin in the Thunder Bay net moments after he had foiled Braden Allkins on a breakaway.
The North Stars drew level two and a half minutes later via another man advantage opportunity as Nicholas Nigro wired a Kris Hamlin feed from the right face-off circle high on Dryden starter Taylor Unruh as he buried his league-leading 22nd goal of the season while also extending a conseuctive game point streak to 10.
Kenny Turner also had an assist on the play, which gave him points in nine straight outings with Hamlin now having a six-game run in tact.
Dryden peppered Thunder Bay netminder Corbin throughout the first two periods, but the the North Stars stopper kept the game deadlocked.
Buoyed by their goalkeeper, the hosts took the lead in the latter stages of a power play as Jake Robinson walked out in front and snapped one past Unruh.
Thunder Bay came right back 16 seconds later and added to their lead when Avery Siau redirected a Landon Letwin blast from the left point that found its way in to make it a 3-1 game through 40 minutes.
The North Stars added to their cushion 3:20 into the third as Hamlin took a pass in the slot and wristed in his club’s third extra man marker on the evening.
Dryden continued to press and notched their second of the night courtesy of Walchuk as he stuffed in his 12th of the campaign from in close off a Matt Houston attempt at 12:35.
Corbin shut the door from there however finishing with 38 saves as Thunder Bay extended their win streak and improving to 20-16-0-2 overall while moving to within six points of second place Dryden in the overall standings, who do hold three games in hand however.
Unruh faced 29 shots in defeat for the GM Ice Dogs as they fell to 22-9-2-2.
The same two teams will meet again Saturday back at the Gardens at 7:30 p.m.
There is also one other SIJHL contest on the slate as the Fort Frances Lakers host the Minnesota Iron Rangers at Ice for Kids Arena in another 7:30 p.m. start.