SUPERIOR INTERNATIONAL JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
SIJHL MEDIA UPDATE
Release Date: Wednesday, March 11, 2015
Record-setting night for Golka as Dryden skates past English River
EAR FALLS, Ont. – The Superior International Junior Hockey League’s leading goal and point producer, in Cole Golka of the Dryden GM Ice Dogs, tacked on three more tallies and two assists to his totals as his side broke open a tie game with six third period markers in an 8-3 triumph over the English River Miners Wednesday evening at Ear Falls Arena.
The four-point night for the 20-year-old native of Strathcona Couty, Alta., also helped him set a new Ice Dogs single season record for points with 87, surpassing the 85 Nicolas Doiron registered for the club back in 2007-08.
English River used the power play to take a 1-0 lead after 20 minutes as Taylor Bargar notched his 12th of the season at 15:20.
It stayed that way until past the midway mark of the contest when Dryden struck twice in less than a minute to go up 2-1 on efforts supplied by Golka and Zachary Kercz, with the latter connecting during a man advantage opportunity.
The Miners drew level in the late stages of the second on an Alex Maticic effort.
Golka’s second of the night 53 seconds into the third put the Ice Dogs in front for good.
After Jonathan Philley extended the visitors cushion at 5:39, Kirk Coppock got one back for the home side three minutes later thanks to a power play conversion.
Dryden blew it open from there however striking four times in the final 10 minutes to skate away with the victory.
Golka’s third of the night and SIJHL-best 46th of the season made it 5-3 before Ryan Hron, Drew Walske and Blake Berg all connected to round out the scoring.
The 46 goals by Golka extends his own Ice Dogs team record for most in a season and also ties him for the seventh most in league history in a single campaign with a game to play.
He also tops all skaters in the league with 87 points.
Shots on net in the contest favoured Dryden 43-22 with Tate Sproxton winning his SIJHL-leading 23rd game of the season. P.D. Melgoza made 35 stops in defeat for the Miners.
SIJHL play resumes Friday with English River visiting Ice for Kids Arena in Fort Frances while the Minnesota Iron Rangers travel to Thunder Bay to take on the North Stars at the Fort William Gardens in a pair of 7:30 p.m. starts.