SUPERIOR INTERNATIONAL JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
SIJHL MEDIA UPDATE
Release Date: Sunday, April 3, 2016
Photo credit: Joey Payeur, Fort Frances Times
Fort Frances rallies to go up 2-0 on English River
BY JOEY PAYEUR
Fort Frances Times
FORT FRANCES, Ont. – Christian Ripley’s shorthanded goal at 11:57 of the third proved to be the game-winner as the Fort Frances Lakers rallied from a third-period deficit with three goals in the final frame to beat the English River Miners 4-2 at the Ice for Kids Arena in Fort Frances in Game 2 of their best-of-seven Salonen Cup semifinal to take a 2-0 series lead.
Ripley stole the puck at the Lakers’ blue line and rocketed down the right wing before cutting inside of Miners defenceman Brody Jennings and then unleashing a missile that went just under the crossbar past English River goalie Korlan Vader.
The Miners outshot Fort Frances 49-38 in the game and opened the scoring only 13 seconds into the game.
A Lakers defensive breakdown led to Alex Maticic finding himself alone in front of the net, where he got two cracks at the puck before putting it past Fort Frances goalie Pierce Dushenko.
Dylan Robertson tied it at 5:17 of the second just after a Miners penalty expired, taking Nick Minerva’s pass in the left circle and slamming it past Vader.
With English River on a two-man advantage, Trevor Pereverzoff drilled a shot from the point by Dushenko at 15:39 to put the Miners back in front.
The Lakers came out flying in the third, as Andrew Willner’s forecheck caused a turnover that led to his centring pass to Robertson, with the SIJHL’s most valuable player sniping his second of the game and fifth of the series just 18 seconds into the final stanza.
After Ripley’s go-ahead marker, English River had several good chances to pull even, but were turned aside every time by Dushenko as part of a terrific 47-save performance.
Willner capped the scoring with an empty-netter after Minerva’s hustle on the forecheck allowed him to steal the puck and find Willner out front at 19:44.
Vader finished with 34 stops.
Game 3 is set for Wednesday night, with the Miners playing host to the Lakers at Cochenour Arena in Red Lake at 7 p.m.
All SIJHL playoff games are available online at FASTHockey.com.
SIJHL semifinal schedule (Series B)
No. 1 Fort Frances Lakers vs. No. 5 English River Miners
Fort Frances leads best-of-seven series 2-0
Game 1: Fort Frances 7 English River 4
Game 2: Fort Frances 4 English River 2
Game 3: Wednesday, April 6 @ English River 7 p.m. (Cochenour Arena)
Game 4: Thursday, April 7 @ English River 7 p.m. (Cochenour Arena)
Game 5*: Saturday, April 9 @ Fort Frances 7:30 p.m. (Ice for Kids Arena)
Game 6*: Monday, April 11 @ English River 7 p.m. (Cochenour Arena)
Game 7*: Wednesday, April 13 @ Fort Frances 7:30 p.m. (Ice for Kids Arena)
*-if necessary