SUPERIOR INTERNATIONAL JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
SIJHL MEDIA UPDATE
Release Date: Saturday, April 4, 2015
Dryden wins Game 6 to advance to SIJHL final
DRYDEN, Ont. – The Dryden GM Ice Dogs are off to the Superior International Junior Hockey League final to play for the Bill Salonen Cup.
Dryden scored once in each period to pull out a 3-1 victory over the Minnesota Iron Rangers Saturday in Game 6 of their league semifinal series held at Memorial Arena.
With the win the GM Ice Dogs take the best-of-seven series 4-2 and will now advance to meet the defending SIJHL champion Fort Frances Lakers in the Bill Salonen Cup final.
Also, since Fort Frances is already serving as the host team for the Dudley-Hewitt Cup Central Canada Jr. A championship, it means Dryden has automatically earned a berth in that event as the second SIJHL representative.
In the series finale vs. Minnesota, Dryden struck late in the opening period as league MVP Cole Golka connected on the power play in the final minute of the stanza.
They then added to their lead with the lone tally of the middle session as Eric Masters finished off a feed from Kyle Pouncy.
The Ice Dogs got an all-important insurance marker at 12:53 of the third as Jonathon Philley redirected a Golka shot from the left side.
Minnesota dashed Dryden’s Tate Sproxton’s shutout bid with 5:40 remaining in regulation thanks to Hunter Routheau.
The Iron Rangers pulled starter Devin Tappenden in the late going in favour of an extra attacker to try and pull closer, but the home side held on for the win.
Shots on goal were 30-27 with Minnesota holding the edge.
SIJHL SEMIFINAL SERIES B
No. 2 Minnesota Iron Rangers vs. No. 3 Dryden GM Ice Dogs
Dryden wins best-of-seven series 4-2
Game 1: Dryden 4 Minnesota 1
Game 2: Minnesota 4 Dryden 1
Game 3: Dryden 6 Minnesota 1
Game 4: Dryden 5 Minnesota 3
Game 5: Minnesota 3 Dryden 1
Game 6: Dryden 3 Minnesota 1