SUPERIOR INTERNATIONAL JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
SIJHL COMMUNICATIONS
MEDIA RELEASE
Release Date: Friday, Sept. 6, 2013
Lakers rally to take preseason opener
FORT FRANCES, Ont. – A Billy Grillo power play tally 3:03 into overtime was the difference as the Fort Frances Lakers stormed back from a three-goal deficit to defeat the Minnesota Iron Rangers 5-4 Friday evening in Superior International Junior Hockey League preseason play at Ice for Kids Arena.
After the visiting Iron Rangers grabbed the early lead courtesy of Eric Madison just a minute and half after the opening face-off, Fort Frances pulled level at 14:35 with Bryson Jaspers scoring on the power play.
Minnesota retook the lead three minutes later to go up 2-1 after one period of play thanks to a Gus Karkinen effort.
The middle stanza saw the Iron Rangers strike quickly netting markers 26 seconds apart to extend the cushion with Karkinen connecting again, this time during a man advantage opportunity, while Thomas Fazio supplied the other spelling an early end to Fort Frances starter Jordan Cartney’s night.
Bryce Lipinski started the Lakers’ comeback with 7:27 to go in the second stanza.
In the third Fort Frances pulled to within one with 6:36 to go thanks to Ben Smaha and then forced OT when Brandon Sinclair notched the equalizer at 15:25.
That set the stage for Grillo to win it for the Lakers late in an Iron Rangers penalty kill.
Lyndon Lipinski dished out a pair of assists to aid the offensive cause for Fort Frances, including setting up the game-winner.
Ryan Ferguson kicked out all nine shots he saw in relief to earn the win with Cartney seeing 10 shots in 21:29 of action before giving way after the fourth Rangers marker.
Patrick Anderson 28 minutes of work late in the contest and suffered the loss allowing four goals on 22 attempts.
Starter Jacob Garvey played half the game for Minnesota turning aside 17 of 18 pucks he faced.
The two sides will meet again Wednesday as they finish off their exhibition home-and-home in Hoyt Lakes with a 6 p.m. start.