SUPERIOR INTERNATIONAL JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
SIJHL MEDIA UPDATE
Release Date: Wednesday, March 30, 2016
English River completes comeback to take series vs. Minnesota
HOYT LAKES, Minn. – A Trevor Pereverzoff shorthanded goal 8:22 into the second period proved to be the game-winner as the English River Miners edged the Minnesota Iron Rangers 3-1 Wednesday in Game 5 of their Superior International Junior Hockey League quarter-final play-in series at Hoyt Lakes Arena.
With the result, English River rallied from a two games to none deficit to take the best-of-five set 3-2.
The Miners now move on to meet the No. 1 seeded Fort Frances Lakers in a best-of-seven semifinal, which is slated to begin Friday at 7:30 p.m. at Ice for Kids Arena.
A complete game schedule for that series will be announced Thursday once it is finalized.
Wednesday’s contest was scoreless until the final minute of the opening session when CCM Hockey second team all-star Konnar Dechaine put English River in front with his fourth marker of the series.
Pereverzoff then put the visitors up by two after 40 minutes with his man-down effort near the midway mark of the game.
The injury-plagued Iron Rangers got one back 3:18 into the third thanks to Logan Froberg, who drew assists from Dan Sarnecki and Gus Karkinen.
Minnesota then pulled netminder Anthony Pupplo late in favour of an extra attacker, but Braeden Pearce iced it with an empty netter with 12 seconds remaining to complete the series comeback.
Riley Wagner dished out to assists to aid the winners cause.
Korlan Vader came up big once again for the Miners to win his third consecutive start making 38 saves along the way.
Pupplo stopped 27 of 29 in the season-ending defeat for Minnesota.
The other league semifinal match-up features the No. 2 Dryden GM Ice Dogs taking on the No. 3 Thunder Bay North Stars in another best-of-seven, which will get underway Saturday at Dryden Memorial Arena.
All SIJHL playoff games are available online at FASTHockey.com.
SIJHL quarter-final schedule (Series A)
No. 4 Minnesota Iron Rangers vs. No. 5 English River Miners
English River wins best-of-five series 3-2
Game 1: Minnesota 3 English River 2 (OT)
Game 2: Minnesota 5 English River 1
Game 3: English River 7 Minnesota 3
Game 4: English River 6 Minnesota 4
Game 5: English River 3 Minnesota 1