SUPERIOR INTERNATIONAL JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
SIJHL MEDIA UPDATE
Release Date: Monday, March 28, 2016
English River rallies to force Game 5 with Minnesota
COCHENOUR, Ont. – The English River Miners stormed back from a 4-1 second period deficit to score the game’s final five tallies and they completed a 6-4 come from behind victory over the Minnesota Iron Rangers Monday in Game 4 of their Superior International Junior Hockey League quarter-final series at Cochenour Arena.
This best-of-five series is now tied 2-2 with a fifth and deciding game set for Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Hoyt Lakes Arena.
Minnesota got off to a great start notching power play goals from Eric Madison and Keaton Huot to go up 2-0 before the first period was 10 minutes old.
After Ryker Moreau got the Miners on the board at 13:08, the Iron Rangers struck twice while shorthanded late in the stanza thanks to Madison and Dawson Mershon to take a 4-1 lead.
Alex Maticic started the English River comeback in the second by getting goals, including one on the power play, seven minutes apart to pull the home side to within one entering the third.
The Miners tied it 20 seconds into the final frame as Trevor Pereverzoff collected his first playoff marker, which came during a man advantage opportunity.
Nash Dabb then gave the Miners their initial lead of the night as he scored the eventual game-winner with 8:15 remaining in regulation.
Konnar Dechaine then iced it with an insurance effort as his third of the series completed the rally for English River.
Shots on goal in the contest favoured the Miners 45-22 with Korlan Vader picking up the win and Anthony Pupplo the loss.
The winner of Wednesday’s Game 5 will advance to take on 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.
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 on April 2 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
Best-of-five series tied 2-2
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: Wednesday, March 30 @ Minnesota 7 p.m. (Hoyt Lakes)