SUPERIOR INTERNATIONAL JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
SIJHL MEDIA UPDATE
Release Date: Thursday, April 2, 2015
Lakers advance to Bill Salonen Cup final
FORT FRANCES, Ont. – The Fort Frances Lakers are heading to the Bill Salonen Cup Superior International Junior Hockey League final for a fourth straight year.
Fort Frances scored the games’ first five goals and never trailed enroute to an 8-3 triumph over the Thunder Bay North Stars Thursday evening in Game 5 of their SIJHL semifinal series held at Ice for Kids Arena.
With the win the Lakers take the best-of-seven set 4-1 and will play in the Bill Salonen Cup final, which will get underway next week starting in Fort Frances with Game 1 & 2.
The home side opened the scoring six minutes into the contest as Nolan Ross redirected a right point shot from A.J. Kapcheck past Thunder Bay starter Eric Mann.
Fort Frances went up a pair, via the power play, as Colton Spicer jammed in a loose puck following a goalmouth scramble at 7:49.
They tacked on three more tallies in the middle session to spell the end of Mann’s night as Colton Spicer and Mason Meyer scored on the power play while Ross had one an even strength for his second of the night.
Tim Cavar got Thunder Bay on the board in the latter stages of the stanza with a man advantage marker of his own to make 5-1 after 40 minutes.
Daniel McKitrick then connected on the power play in the first shift of the third to pull the visitors to within three.
KcKitrick then added another midway through the frame to make it a 5-3 score.
In the end however, the Lakers put the game away adding three in the late going from Wyatt Cota, Sam Schultz and Bowen Alcock to secure the win and the decision in the series.
Cody Antonini had a big night offensively to aid the Fort Frances cause as the defenceman doled out five assists in the triumph.
A.J. Kapcheck and Dylan Kooner meanwhile had three helpers apiece while Spicer had a pair for the winners.
Nathan Park made 26 saves to record the decision while Mann and Dupuis combined to face 48 attempts in a season-ending loss for the North Stars.
The Lakers will meet the winner of the Dryden GM Ice Dogs – Minnesota Iron Rangers semifinal for the SIJHL title.
The Ice Dogs led that best-of-seven 3-2 heading into Game 6 Saturday at Dryden Memorial Arena.
As Fort Frances is also the host of the Dudley-Hewitt Cup Central Canada Jr. A championship, whoever comes out on top in the other semifinal, will also advance to the four-team DHC event April 28 through May 2.
The champions of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League and the Ontario Junior Hockey League will also take part in the Dudley-Hewitt Cup.
SIJHL SEMIFINAL SERIES A
No. 1 Fort Frances Lakers vs. No. 4 Thunder Bay North Stars
Fort Frances wins best-of-seven series 4-1
Game 1: Fort Frances 6 Thunder Bay 2
Game 2: Fort Frances 2 Thunder Bay 1
Game 3: Fort Frances 5 Thunder Bay 4
Game 4: Thunder Bay 6 Fort Frances 5
Game 5: Fort Frances 8 Thunder Bay 3