THUNDER BAY, Ont. – Keighan Gerrie had a hat trick and added three assists as the Thunder Bay North Stars went on to trounce the Minnesota Iron Rangers 12-0 in their Superior International Junior Hockey League home opener Friday at the Fort William Gardens.
Thunder Bay took control early by throwing up a six-spot in the first period on a pair of tallies by Gerrie along with singles courtesy of Ryan Mignault, Jacob Anttonen, Joe Willan and Austin Hall.
Michael Vecchio extended the North Stars cushion with the lone marker of the middle stanza.
They then finished off the romp with five more in the back half of the third to complete the one-sided decision.
Accounting for those goals were Gerrie, Mignault, Robert Tyska, Ben Erwin and Brendan Gillis.
Willan and Kyle Auger had three assists apiece for the winners.
Dougie Newhouse made 34 saves to record the shutout for Thunder Bay.
Minnesota netminders Kolton Kringstad and Nick Corneliusen faced a combined 63 shots against in defeat.