THUNDER BAY, Ont. – Thunder Bay North Stars goaltender Dougie Newhouse turned in an impressive 42-save performance while Bradley Thrower was the overtime hero as his goal lifted his side to a narrow 2-1 victory over the Dryden GM Ice Dogs Saturday in a well-played Superior International Junior Hockey League contest at the Fort William Gardens.
Thunder Bay was also quick to strike in this one as they opened the scoring 40 seconds in with Thrower feeding Ryan Mignault who chipped his attempt past Dryden starter Jacob Gnidziejko.
It was a goaltenders’ battle from there with each team’s stopper making a number of quality saves that kept it 1-0 Thunder Bay through two periods of play.
The GM Ice Dogs pressed the pace in the third and were rewarded with the equalizer with just over eight minutes remaining in regulation as Evan Walls threw a puck in front that Luke Bellerose managed to get by Newhouse and level the proceedings.
The Thunder Bay netminder did his best to keep it tied and held off Dryden from there to send the contest into extra time.
It was there in OT with the two clubs skating three aside that Mignault sent Thrower in alone on a breakaway where he made no mistake making a couple of quick dekes before stuffing in the game-winner past the outstretched right pad of Gnidziejko to end it.
The GM Ice Dogs outshot the North Stars 43-29 overall.
Photo credit: Gary Moskalyk