DRYDEN, Ont. – A Malcolm Huemmert marker on a partial break, 13:38 into the third period, proved to be the eventual difference maker as the Dryden GM Ice Dogs went on to edge the Fort Frances Lakers 4-3 for a second straight night in a Superior International Junior Hockey League contest played at Memorial Arena.
Dryden came out hard in the first frame and were rewarded with goals in the back half of the session supplied by defenceman Ben Forbes’ left point shot for his initial SIJHL tally at 14:28 before Evan Pakkala knocked one in from the slot before the session was complete.
Fort Frances with two of their own in the middle stanza beginning with MacKenzie Flett sending Stone Stelzl in all alone on GM Ice Dogs starter Jacob Anthony as he made no mistake in putting the visitors on the board at 7:27.
Flett added another assist late in the period as he got it up to Nick Swain who bulled his way along the boards before cutting in and snapping in the equalizer at 13:42.
Heading to the third, Dryden’s Gavyn Galloway forced a turnover at his own blue line then darted down the ice on a breakaway and went top shelf on Lakers netminder Dylan Kosik.
Huemmert added some insurance later on he sped down the left wing, drove hard to the hard and slipped his second of the season under Kosik to put the home side up by a pair.
Fort Frances did get on more off a Flett blast that hit teammate Noah Loveday in front before Copper Witherspoon pushed it closer where a waiting Praveen Dhaliwal jammed in his first league marker with 3:22 remaining.
However, the hosts held on from there to secure the narrow weekend home-and-home sweep of the Lakers.
Anthony made 37 saves in a winning performance for Dryden while Kosik faced 39 shots in his SIJHL debut for Fort Frances.
Photo credit: Kerri-Ann Kanceruk