SUPERIOR INTERNATIONAL JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
SIJHL MEDIA UPDATE
Release Date: Friday, Sept. 19, 2014
Ice Dogs, Lakers rally to win on opening night
THUNDER BAY, Ont. – Opening night in the 14th season of the Superior International Junior Hockey League saw the Dryden GM Ice Dogs and Fort Frances Lakers rally for come from behind victories on opening night.
DRYDEN GM ICE DOGS 4 ENGLISH RIVER MINERS 3 – Dryden stormed back from a 3-0 second period deficit to spoil the Miners home opener at Ear Falls Arena.
It was a dream start for English River who grabbed a 2-0 lead after 20 minutes on markers by Richard Dartnell and Cody Colby.
After Layne Anderson made in 3-0 with six and a half minutes to go in the middle stanza, the GM Ice Dogs struck four times before the second session was complete to go in front for good.
Ryan Scott put Dryden on the board at 14:03 they then tacked on three tallies in a span of just over a minute in the late going to shock the Miners.
John Philley made it 3-2 at 18:07 before Cole Golka tied it on the power play 40 seconds later and Matt Houston buried the eventual game-winner at 19:53.
The final frame was scoreless as the visitors pulled out the win.
Shots on goal favoured the Ice Dogs 27-25 with Josh Martin picking up the win and Greg Harney suffering the loss.
FORT FRANCES LAKERS 5 THUNDER BAY NORTH STARS 3 – The defending SIJHL champion Lakers began defence of the league title with the home victory over Thunder Bay at Ice for Kids Arena.
Prior to the start of the game, Fort Frances raised their championship banner to the rafters at IFK to commerate their first title in franchise history won last season.
Matthias Gardiman gave the visiting North Stars the lead with the lone tally of the opening period.
The Lakers answered in the second going up 4-2 after minutes getting markers from Miles Nolan, Colton Spicer, Mason Meyer and Dylan Kooner while Brandon Wolframe had on for Thunder Bay.
Each team added third period power play efforts to round out the scoring with Wolframe and Meyer each adding to their goal totals on the evening.
Devin Tappenden made 29 saves to record the win in net for Fort Frances while Eric Mann faced 34 shots in a losing cause for the North Stars.
League play resumes Saturday as the Ice Dogs and Miners wrap-up a home-and-home set at Dryden’s Memorial Arena at 7:30 p.m.