FORT FRANCES, Ont. – An Alec Daman goal 1:19 into overtime lifted the Thief River Falls Norskies to a narrow 2-1 decision over the Fort Frances Lakers Saturday in the Superior International Junior Hockey League regular season finale at Ice for Kids Arena.
Tate Steffan staked the visitors to the lead midway through the opening frame as he picked up his fourth goal of the season with assists going to Michael Johnson and Cody Aarvig.
It stayed 1-0 Norskies until the third period when Nick Lucas tied it, via the power play, at 5:42 as he finished off a Dustin Roitelman feed.
The contest remained level through the rest of regulation and into OT where Daman won it as he skated in on a partial break and slid the game-winner between the legs of Fort Frances goaltender Ismael Ralsten.
Jackson Nelson made 34 saves to earn the decision for Thief River Falls while Ralsten finished with 35 stops in the narrow defeat for the Lakers.
The Norksies now have a first round bye in the upcoming postseason while Fort Frances begins a best-of-five quarter-final vs. the English River Miners Wednesday at Cochenour Arena.
Game time is 7:30 p.m.
Photo credit: Jamie Mountain, Fort Frances Times