By Gary Moskalyk
Dryden, ON – Ryker Watt scored two goals and assisted on Aiden Corbett’s game-winner at 15:43 of overtime as the visiting Red Lake Miners defeated Dryden 4-3 before 437 fans at Dryden Memorial Arena.
Both goalies, Ethan Neitsch of the Miners and Christian Lynch of the Ice Dogs, stood on their heads, earning second and third star status in the process. Neitsch wound up with 58 saves on 61 shots while Lynch stopped 50 of 54.
They were tested in overtime. Red Lake successfully killed off two minor penalties in the extra session, Dryden one. Dryden outshot the Miners 10-9 in extra time.
After a bevy of chances for both teams a bad bounce resulted in a Red Lake 3-on-2. Blake Hiltermann fed Watt, who slid a cross-ice pass to Corbett, who in turn fired one past the glove of Lynch and in to give the Miners an exciting 4-3 win and 1-0 series lead.
Matthew MacPherson gave the Miners a 1-0 lead after 20. McLaren Paulsen and Tanner Skrypnyk countered for Dryden to take a 2-1 edge after 40.
In the third, Watt struck on the powerplay on a pass from Luke DeCorby, then scored at 4:59 on passes from Hiltermann and Corbett to put the Miners up 3-2. Carson Devine knotted the score at 3-3 at 11:55 on a Dryden powerplay.
Red Lake took 36 of the 50 penalty minutes. The Miners were 1-5 with the man advantage while Dryden was 1-6.
Corbett had two points and Hiltermann chipped in with two assists for Red Lake. Dryden’s Devine and Paulsen also collected assists for two points for Dryden. Game two is Sunday at 5:30 CDT.