SUPERIOR INTERNATIONAL JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
SIJHL MEDIA UPDATE
Release Date: Saturday, April 18, 2015
Fort Frances Lakers repeat as SIJHL Bill Salonen Cup champions
DRYDEN, Ont. – Wyatt Cota scored all three goals for the Fort Frances Lakers Saturday leading them to a 3-1 victory over the Dryden GM Ice Dogs in Game 6 of the Bill Salonen Cup Superior International Junior Hockey League finals to repeat as SIJHL champions for a second straight year.
The Lakers won the best-of-seven series 4-2, including coming away with decisions in each of the final three games.
Fort Frances got on the board first as Cota banged in his sixth of the playoffs just past the four-minute mark of the contest.
Cota continued his impressive postseason as he broke in and buried his second of the stanza and seventh overall to put the visitors up a pair midway through the period.
Dryden pressed the attack in the middle session and carried the play to the Lakers, but Fort Frances netminder Nathan Park was stellar keeping the GM Ice Dogs shooters at bay stopping all 16 attempts he faced through a scoreless second.
The Ice Dogs finally solved Park with 7:06 remaining in regulation as Blake Peavey stuffed one in during a goal-mouth scramble.
Dryden had another glorious opportunity to force overtime late only to have Cole Golka denied by the glove of Park.
A man advantage with 50 seconds left and with their goaltender pulled as well gave the Ice Dogs one final chance to draw level, but Cota scored shorthanded into an empty net with three seconds remaining to clinch the Lakers second straight Bill Salonen Cup crown.
Shots on goal finished 28 apiece on the evening with Park picking up the win and Sproxton the loss.
The season is not over for both sides however as they’ll compete in the Dudley-Hewitt Cup in Fort Frances starting April 28.
They’ll be joined by the champions of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League and Ontario Junior Hockey League with a berth to the RBC Cup Canadian Jr. A Championship in Portgae la Prairie, Man., on the line.
SIJHL BILL SALONEN CUP FINAL
Fort Frances Lakers vs. Dryden GM Ice Dogs
Lakers win best-of-seven series 4-2
Game 1: Fort Frances 6 Dryden 2
Game 2: Dryden 5 Fort Frances 4
Game 3: Dryden 3 Fort Frances 2 (OT)
Game 4: Fort Frances 3 Dryden 2
Game 5: Fort Frances 6 Dryden 3
Game 6: Fort Frances 3 Dryden 1