SUPERIOR INTERNATIONAL JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
SIJHL COMMUNICATIONS
MEDIA UPDATE
Release Date: Saturday, Jan. 25, 2014
Lakers top North Stars in battle of SIJHL front-runners
THUNDER BAY, Ont. – A Cody Wickstrom power play goal at 17:41 of the third period proved to be the difference as the Fort Frances Lakers defeated the Thunder Bay North Stars 6-4 Saturday in a Superior International Junior Hockey League contest at the Fort William Gardens featuring the top two teams in the standings.
Ryan McQueen put the first place Lakers in front in the first period only to see a Jesse Tayor power play shot from the point tie things up midway through the session.
Zach Grzelewski then made it 2-1 Thunder Bay at 15:31 to give his side the lead.
Fort Frances responded in the second getting efforts from Kevin Kurm and Mason Meyer to go back on top, but the North Stars connected with a minute remaining in the stanza to level the score once again courtesy of Alex Vaillant.
In the third Meyer fed Lucas Debenedet at 10:09 to send the Lakers back in front in yet another lead change on the night.
Thunder Bay tied things up once more with 4:15 to go as Taylor’s second of the night from the point found the back of the net with just three seconds remaining on a two-man advantage.
Wickstrom then won it with a power play chance of his own going high on Stars’ starter Eric Mann.
Lyndon Lipinski then iced it with an empty netter in the final seconds to round out the scoring.
Fort Frances out shot Thunder Bay 38-22 on the night with Jordan Cartney picking up the win and Mann the loss.
SIJHL action resumes Tuesday on two fronts as the Lakers head to Hoyt Lakes to take on the Minnesota Iron Rangers while the North Stars will be in Ear Falls to meet the English River Miners in a pair of 7 p.m. CT starts.