FORT FRANCES, Ont. – Brett Pipper tallied twice then assisted on the game-winner towards the end of regulation to help lead the Thief River Falls Norskies to a 3-2 triumph over the Fort Frances Lakers in Superior International Junior Hockey League play Friday at Ice for Kids Arena.
Piper picked up the lone marker of the first frame as he put the visitors in front at 5:51.
Fort Frances drew level midway through the contest on an Ethan Knutsen effort, only to see Piper put Thief River Falls back on top 12 and a half minutes into the second as he notched his second of the night and 30th of the season.
The Lakers came back to tie it once more when Kirk Coppock collected his 13th goal of the season at 13:57 of the third.
However, the Norskies answered again getting the game-winner off the stick of Blake Nelson with 3:20 to go to pull out the road win.
Fletcher Bolda finished with 33 saves to record the win for Thief River Falls while Jacob Gnidziejko made 40 stops in suffering the narrow defeat.
Photo credit: Clint Bruyere