SUPERIOR INTERNATIONAL JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
SIJHL MEDIA UPDATE
Release Date: Wednesday, April 15, 2015
Lakers rally to even SIJHL final at 2-2
DRYDEN, Ont. – The Fort Frances Lakers rallied with a pair of third period tallies in rapid succession to pull out a 3-2 triumph over the Dryden GM Ice Dogs Wednesday evening in Game 4 of the Bill Salonen Cup Superior International Junior Hockey League championship series at Memorial Arena.
With the outcome the best-of-seven series is now tied at 2-2 heading into Game 5 Friday at Ice for Kids Arena in Fort Frances at 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday’s Game 3 overtime hero, Derek McPhail, got the GM Ice Dogs on the board four and a half minutes into the contest.
Fort Frances tied it at 14:51 of the first as Wyatt Cota connected for his fifth of the postseason to level the proceedings after 20 minutes.
The middle stanza saw the Lakers press the attack, but it was Dryden that took advantage of a defensive zone turnover late in the middle session to notch the lone tally of the session Dylan Cusmano scored at 18:21 to make it 2-1 Ice Dogs through two periods of play.
Special teams allowed the visitors to knot the affair at 2-2 as they struck shorthanded when at 5:50 of the third as Nolan Ross stayed with the puck finishing off a two-on-one with Cota stuffing the equalizer past Tate Sproxton in the Dryden net.
Riding the momentum on the man-down marker the Lakers took their first lead of the evening 79 seconds later courtesy of a Bryson Jasper effortin what turned out to be the game-winning goal.
Fort Frances held on from there to earn the victory and make the series a best-of-three to determine a Bill Salonen Cup champion.
Shots on goal favoured the Lakers by a 32-24 margin with Nathan Park picking up the win and Sproxton the loss.
SIJHL BILL SALONEN CUP FINAL
Fort Frances Lakers vs. Dryden GM Ice Dogs
Best-of-seven series tied 2-2
Game 1: Fort Frances 6 Dryden 2
Game 2: Dryden 5 Fort Frances 4
Game 3: Dryden 3 Fort Frances 2 (OT)
Game 4: Fort Frances 3 Dryden 2
Game 5: Friday, April 17 @ Fort Frances 7:30 p.m. (Ice for Kids)
Game 6: Saturday, April 18 @ Dryden 7:30 p.m. (Memorial)
Game 7*: Tuesday, April 21 @ Fort Frances 7:30 p.m. (Ice for Kids)
*-if necessary