Red Lake was able to thwart Fort Frances 3rd period comeback attempt in order to secure 2 points in the first game of the weekend.
Fort Frances was able to gain momentum early thanks in part to a couple of early penalties including a game misconduct by Red Lake. Halfway through the first period Reid Zurkan would start the scoring for the Lakers with his first goal of the season. Brady Wicklund and Brandon Kelly assisted on the goal. Red Lake would stabilize the game as just over 2 minutes later Aidan Corbett would tie it with his 10th tally. Dayvan Bull and Tootoo Fotheringham both picked up helpers.
In the 2nd period Red Lake would take control and grab a commanding lead. Early in the frame Kaelen Veldmen would score his first goal in a Miner’s sweater on the power play to take the lead for good. Jacob Lamoureux and Corbett would secure assists on the go-ahead goal. Over halfway into the period the same three players would earn their way back onto the scoresheet just in a different order. Corbett scored his 2nd of the game with Lamoureux and Veldman securing assists. Jack Wood would bring the game back within 1 on a powerplay marker assisted by Josh Greene, but the Miners weren’t done in the 2nd. Red Lake would score back-to-back goals late in the period as first Lamoureux struck on the powerplay, with Corbett and Dobie Unrau assisting. Colton Crysler would add to the lead with under a minute and a half remaining assisted by Matthew Macpherson, giving Red Lake a 5-2 lead heading into the 3rd.
Under 3 minutes into the final frame Jacob Lamoureux would score the eventual game winner with Veldman and Corbett picking up the assists. At this point with a 6-2 lead the game looked to be in hand for the Miners. But then the Lakers came storming back with 3 straight goals. Clark Scaddan would start the rally with assists going to Brady Krentz and Ian Snooks. Just over a minute later it was Dylan Wedward from Jack Wood, and with 5 minutes left Brady Krentz made it a 1 goal game with help from Ian Snooks and Clark Scaddan. With a timeout called and pressure in the offensive zone Fort Frances elected not to pull the goalie, but it didn’t stop Aidan Corbett from picking up his hat trick on a breakaway opportunity. Colton Crysler would get his 2nd of the game on PP to wrap it up with 20 seconds remaining.
Jack Osmond stopped 30 of 35 shots in a winning effort, while Ryan Tanner had 36 saves on 44 shots picking up the loss. Aidan Corbett secured 1st star with a hat trick and a playmaker en route to a 6-point night. Jack Wood was given 2nd star with a goal and an assist. The league’s leading goal scorer Jacob Lamoureux scored 2 and picked up 2 helpers as the 3rd star of the game. Veldman didn’t earn any honors but had a goal and a playmaker in his first game with Red Lake.
232 spectators watched the game at Ice for Kids Arena where the teams will play again Saturday