SUPERIOR INTERNATIONAL JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
SIJHL MEDIA UPDATE
Release Date: Thursday, April 2, 2015
Iron Rangers force Game 6
HOYT LAKES, Minn. – The Minnesota Iron Rangers got a pair of early third period tallies to break open a tie game as they skated to a hard-fought 3-1 victory over the Dryden GM Ice Dogs Thursday evening at Hoyt Lakes Arena in Game 5 of their Superior International Junior Hockey League semifinal.
With the result, Minnesota still trails the best-of-seven affair 3-2, but have forced at least a sixth game in the series that goes Saturday at Dryden’s Memorial Arena starting at 7:30 p.m.
After a scoreless opening period, Dryden got on the board first with 6:03 remaining in the middle stanza as Cole Golka chipped in a rebound off a Jonathon Philley breakaway, which was thwarted by Minnesota’s Devin Tappenden.
The Iron Rangers countered quickly with the equalizer, via a penalty shot, as Hunter Routheau skated in on his chance and calmly lifted a backhand high past Dryden netminder Tate Sproxton to knot the affair at 1-1.
Minnesota came out strong in the final frame and were rewarded with the go ahead marker two minutes into the session as A.J. Rupert fired one in from close range following a solid save by Sproxton on Tristyn Sabina.
They then added an all important insurance effort from Alex Rezansoff who beat Sproxton off a feed from Noah Anderson
Dryden pulled their goaltender with over two minutes remaining in an effort to get closer, but an Ice Dogs penalty with1:38 to go and forced Sproxton to go back in and the Iron Rangers ran out the clock from there.
Both goaltenders turned in solid performances on the night with the final shots on goal favouring Dryden 39-36.
SIJHL SEMIFINAL SERIES B
No. 2 Minnesota Iron Rangers vs. No. 3 Dryden GM Ice Dogs
Dryden leads best-of-seven series 3-2
Game 1: Dryden 4 Minnesota 1
Game 2: Minnesota 4 Dryden 1
Game 3: Dryden 6 Minnesota 1
Game 4: Dryden 5 Minnesota 3
Game 5: Minnesota 3 Dryden 1
Game 6: Saturday, April 4 @ Dryden 7:30 p.m. (Dryden Memorial Arena)
Game 7*: Monday, April 6 @ Minnesota 7 p.m. (Hoyt Lakes Arena)
*-if necessary