SUPERIOR INTERNATIONAL JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
SIJHL MEDIA UPDATE
Release Date: Friday, Oct. 17, 2014
Miners surprise Iron Rangers for 1st win
HOYT LAKES, Minn. – A Layne Anderson power play goal with 8:37 remaining and a solid 44-save performance by Greg Harney helped the English River Miners skate to their first victory of the season, a 4-3 decision over the previously surging Minnesota Iron Rangers, in a Superior International Junior Hockey League affair Friday night at Hoyt Lakes Arena.
Entering the contest riding a five-game winning streak, Minnesota notched the lone goal of the opening period off the stick of A.J. Rupert at 13:16.
Aaron Balcombe tied things up for English River eight and a half minutes into the middle sesion only to see Matt O’Dea strike shorthanded at 12:09 to put the Iron Rangers back on top.
Battling back the Miners got the equalizer on the same power play 48 seconds later with Taylor Bargar potting one past Minnesota starter Kyle Carnignan.
The score stayed at 2-2 well into the final frame, when during a two-man advantage, Dominic Blouin gave the visitors their first lead of the evening coming at 11:04.
Just 19 seconds later, with his side still on the power play, Anderson slid home the eventual difference maker.
O’Dea then supplied his second of the contest, with 5:41 to go to pull the Iron Rangers to within one, but Harney shut the door the rest of the way as English River picked up their first triumph of the campaign.
With the triumph the Miners raised their record to 1-7-0-1.
Carignan faced 23 attempts in defeat as Minnesota fell to 6-2-0-1 overall.
SIJHL play resumes Saturday on two fronts as English River visits Fort Frances while Thunder Bay entertains Dryden in a pair of 7:30 p.m. starts.