FORT FRANCES, Ont. – The Dryden GM Ice Dogs saw the Fort Frances Lakers get a pair of extra attacker tallies late in regulation before regrouping and winning 3-2 in a shootout in a Superior International Junior Hockey League contest Sunday at Ice for Kids Arena.
Dryden did get off to a solid start notching markers in the back half of the first period with Justin Pitari scoring on an unassisted breakaway at 14:08 before Josh Weber collected his 21st before the session expired to give the visitors the early edge.
Neither side would connect in a scoreless second stanza as the GM Ice Dogs carried their two-goal cushion into the third.
There, it stayed that way until the late going, when with Fort Frances starter Dean Buchholz out for an extra attacker, Tyler Malpass banged one in at 18:48 to put the home side on the board.
Pulling their netminder once more, the Lakers were rewarded with the tying tally with 15 seconds remaining as Malpass bagged his second straight marker to send it to OT.
Neither team would convert in the extra session, so it went to the shootout to determine a winner.
Notching the lone effort in the extra shots was Dryden’s Nolan Marshall, who picked the corner to give his squad the narrow road triumph.
GM Ice Dogs’ goaltender Jacob Anthony was solid, despite the two late ones against, as he finished with 45 stops, plus all three he saw in the shootout to get the win.
With 33 saves, Buchholz helped the Lakers earn a point in defeat.