SUPERIOR INTERNATIONAL JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
SIJHL MEDIA UPDATE
Release Date: Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2017
Norskies top Iron Rangers 8-5 in high-scoring SIJHL affair
THIEF RIVER FALLS, Minn. – The Thief River Falls Norskies received multi-point performances from seven different skaters Wednesday evening to help them defeat the Minnesota Iron Rangers 8-5 in a high-scoring Superior International Junior Hockey League affair at Ralph Engelstad Arena.
Each side would score once in the opening 20 minutes with Michael Johnson getting things going offensively for the Norskies at 3:32 while Isaiah Olschewske collected his fifth of the campaign during a Minnesota man advantage opportunity at 13:58.
Jack Stensgard’s 10th put the Iron Rangers up early in the second, but Thief River Falls struck three times in rapid succession before the frame was complete to go up by two.
Dalton Johnson tied it at 12:05 while Dylan Dix tacked on a pair of tallies 25 seconds apart to put Thief River Falls back in the lead.
Josh Houdek’s first SIJHL goal 2:07 into the third brought the visitors to within a goal.
The back and forth affair saw Houdek add his second league marker four and a half minutes later to knot the affair at 4-4.
Answering rack back, the Norskies’ Tommy Stang put his side back in front on the next shift.
Connor Smith then notched the eventual game-winner with 3:25 remaining as he picked up his 21st goal of the campaign.
Stensgard added another for Minnesota 26 seconds later, but the home side finally secured the victory with late markers from Parker Simonson and Stang to round out things out offensively.
Thief River Falls outshot the Iron Rangers 51-36 with Ryan Buttazzoni picking up the win while Jackson Nelson suffered the loss.