SUPERIOR INTERNATIONAL JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
SIJHL MEDIA UPDATE
Release Date: Friday, March 4, 2016
Lakers close in on regular season crown with win over Miners
FORT FRANCES, Ont. – The Fort Frances Lakers got the game’s first two goals from Matt Tustin in the second period, which helped send them on to a 4-1 triumph over the English River Miners in Superior International Junior Hockey League action Friday night at Ice for Kids Arena.
With the result the Lakers lowered their magic number to claim the SIJHL’s regular season title for a third consecutive season to two. Any combination of points earned by Fort Frances or lost by the second place Dryden GM Ice Dogs totalling two will earn them the top seed in the upcoming Bill Salonen Cup playoffs.
Fort Frances can claim the SIJHL regular season crown Saturday evening as they travel to Dryden to take on the rival GM Ice Dogs in an 8 p.m. start at Memorial Arena.
In Friday’s contest, it was scoreless through 20 minutes of play.
The second tanza saw Tustin strike quickly, opening the scoring just 11 seconds in as he beat Miners’ starter Reid Kilburn.
Tustin wasn’t done there as he came right back and notched the eventual game-winner a half minute later to put the Lakers up by two.
Rookie Cole Tymkin supplied his 14th goal of the season at 13:15 to extend the cushion to 3-0 through two periods.
English River dashed Brandon Bodnar’s shutout bid with 9:02 remaining on Kyle Crawford’s fifth marker of the campaign with Cameron Novak picking up his first SIJHL point with the lone assist.
Special teams allowed Fort Frances to add some insurance as Davis Ross connected on the power play at 15:29 to round out the night’s scoring.
Shots on goal favoured the Lakers 40-25 with Bodnar picking up the win and Kilburn the loss.