SUPERIOR INTERNATIONAL JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
SIJHL MEDIA UPDATE
Release Date: Friday, April 10, 2015
Dryden evens up Salonen Cup final with Fort Frances
FORT FRANCES, Ont. – The Dryden GM Ice Dogs rode the strength of four second period goals then held on to defeat the Fort Frances Lakers 5-4 Friday in Game 2 of the Bill Salonen Cup Superior International Junior Hockey League championship series at Ice for Kids Arena.
With the result the best-of-seven set is now tied at 1-1 heading into Game 3 Tuesday at Dryden’s Memorial Arena at 7:30 p.m. Central.
Dryden carried the play early, which included the first man advantage opportunity of the evening, but could not solve Fort Frances starter Nathan Park.
The Lakers withstood the Ice Dogs surge and then proceeded to open the scoring 7:24 into the contest as Mason Meyer’s innocent looking backhand eluded Tate Sproxton in the Dryden net.
The Dryden forecheck produced the equalizer three and a half minutes into the second as Ice Dogs’ defenceman Kyle Pouncy blasted one over the glove of Park to level the proceedings at 1-1.
Continuing to apply the pressure, the visitors took their first lead of the series with 11:37 to go in the middle session as SIJHL most valuable player Cole Golka wired a snap shot past Park for his seventh of the playoffs.
Connecting during a two-man advantage, Dryden affiliate blueliner Trevor Kavanaugh blasted one home at 14:41 to put the visitors up a pair.
The GM Ice Dogs kept coming as Blake Berg lifted a pass to an open Matt Houston in front, who made no mistake snapping one into the back of the net to make it 4-1 after 40 minutes.
Dryden continued to roll adding another 27 seconds into the third as Golka made a perfect pass to Jonathon Philley, who ripped it in to spell the end of Park’s night as he was replaced by Pierce Dushenko the rest of the way.
The goaltending change appeared to spark the Lakers as Meyer notched his second of the contest three minutes into the stanza.
Fort Frances added another a minute and a half later to make it 5-3 as Dylan Robertson found the mark.
The Lakers pulled Dushenko late in favour of an extra attacker and moved to within one as Meyer capped off a hat trick and league-leading eighth of the postseason with 28 seconds remaining in regulation, but that’s as close are they would get as their comeback bid fell short as the Ice Dogs held on to even the series at a win apiece.
Golka and Zachary Kercz had two assists each to aid in Dryden’s triumph while Bryson Jasper had a pair of helpers for Fort Frances.
Sproxton made 33 stops to register the win for the GM Ice Dogs.
Park allowed five against on 27 attempts and suffered the loss while Dushenko was perfect in relief.
SIJHL BILL SALONEN CUP FINAL
Fort Frances Lakers vs. Dryden GM Ice Dogs
Best-of-seven series tied 1-1
Game 1: Fort Frances 6 Dryden 2
Game 2: Dryden 5 Fort Frances 4
Game 3: Tuesday, April 14 @ Dryden 7:30 p.m. (Memorial Arena)
Game 4: Wednesday, April 15 @ Dryden 7:30 p.m. (Memorial)
Game 5: Friday, April 17 @ Fort Frances 7:30 p.m. (Ice for Kids)
Game 6*: Saturday, April 18 @ Dryden 7:30 p.m. (Memorial)
Game 7*: Tuesday, April 21 @ Fort Frances 7:30 p.m. (Ice for Kids)
*-if necessary