SUPERIOR INTERNATIONAL JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
SIJHL MEDIA UPDATE
Release Date: Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2015
Fort Frances tops Dryden after lengthy shootout
DRYDEN, Ont. – Mason Meyer’s goal in the seventh round of the shootout proved to be the difference as the Fort Frances Lakers edged the Dryden GM Ice Dogs 5-4 Wednesday evening in a Superior International Junior Hockey League match-up at Memorial Arena.
Special teams played a role in each of the three tallies scored in the opening period starting with Dryden’s Troy Williams connecting on the power play at 6:54.
Fort Frances countered with a pair of man advantage markers of their own in the session off the sticks of Dylan Robertson and Nick Minerva.
Williams added another via the power play for the GM Ice Dogs 54 seconds into the second stanza to knot the affair at 2-2.
Eric Master then put the home side back in front at 11:04 only to see the Lakers get even strength efforts from Miles Nolan and Wyatt Cota to take a one-goal lead into the third.
Dryden forced extra time midway through the session as Ryan Scott notched the equalizer notch his fourth of the season to send the game to extra time.
After a five-minute OT solved nothing, the shootout was needed to determine a winner on the night.
Of the 14 total shots, only three shooters scored with Cota and Meyer, with the decider, connecting for Fort Frances and Matt Houston for the GM Ice Dogs.
Shots on goal favoured Dryden 43-35 through 65 minutes with Nathan Park securing the victory and Tate Sproxton helping his club salvage a point.
With the decision the Lakers now just need two more points gained by them of lost by the Minnesota Iron Rangers or one given up by Dryden to clinch their second consecutive SIJHL regular season title.
League play continues Thursday as the GM Ice Dogs travel to Hoyt Lakes to take on Minnesota at 7 p.m.