SUPERIOR INTERNATIONAL JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
SIJHL COMMUNICATIONS
MEDIA RELEASE
Release Date: Friday, Sept. 20, 2013
Ice Dogs spoil Miners SIJHL debut while North Stars rally to sink Lakers
THUNDER BAY – Two games kicked off the Superior International Junior Hockey League’s 3th season Friday with the Dyrden Ice Dogs defeating the English River Miners in their debut while the Thunder Bay North Stars stormed back from an early three-goal deficit to edge the Fort Frances Lakers.
DRYDEN ICE DOGS 4 ENGLISH RIVER MINERS 2 – Drew Dekker’s goal with 1:04 remaining proved to be the game-winner as the hometown Ice Dogs spoiled the SIJHL debut against a resilient English River side.
Nathan Johnson was credited with the first goal in team history as the Miners took a 1-0 lead as he beat Dryden netminder Robert Kopytek-MacKenzie at 6:06 of the opening period.
The middle session saw the Ice Dogs tie it and then take the lead after 40 minutes as Chris Sitco and Zach Kerczbound found the back of the net.
English River then pulled even with six minutes remaining in regulation as Devan Vander Wyk tied the contest at 2-2.
With overtime looming, Dryden got the winner in the late going thanks to Dekker then iced it in the final minute with an empty-net effort by Derek McPhail.
Kopytek-MacKenzie made 39 saves to record the win for Dryden while Greg Harney stopped 31 attempts in defeat.
THUNDER BAY NORTH STARS 4 FORT FRANCES LAKERS 3 – Cary Brown and Taylor Santorelli both tallied twice to lead Thunder Bay to a come from behind triumph at Ice for Kids Arena.
It was a dream start to the season for Fort Frances as they struck for three quick goals in the opening period to go up 3-0 after 20 minutes.
Rookie Lucas Debenedet made an immediate impression notching his first SIJHL tally just 61 seconds after the opening face-off to get the Lakers on the board.
The power play saw Kevin Kurm make it 2-0 while Mason Meyer got into the act midway through the session to make it a three-goal game.
Thunder Bay responded with the only offense in the middle stanza as Santorelli finished off the work of Matthias Gardiman at 15:42 of the session.
The North Stars pulled ever closer early in the third as Cary Brown’s effort eluded Jordan Carney in the Fort Frances net.
Special teams allowed the visitors to even things up with 12:04 remaining as Brown buried his second of the night jamming in the rebound of a Jesse Taylor shot from the left point.
Another power play marker allowed Santorelli to slide in his second of the night at 11:12 as the Stars completed the comeback win.
Shots on goal favoured Thunder Bay by a 38-26 margin with Eric Mann picking up the win and Cartney the loss.