By Tanner Schafer
Fort Frances, ON – Thunder Bay only led for 1 minute and 28 seconds on Sunday and it was all they needed to secure a 4-3 win over Fort Frances and a weekend sweep.
After a scoreless 1st period on Saturday Fort Frances made sure it wouldn’t happen again scoring the first 2 goals of the game in the 1st frame. Branden Hill started the scoring 5 minutes in with a goal assisted by Trevor Sanderson and Ryker Watt. Just over halfway through the period it was the power play to make it 2-0 as Darnell Kempf scored his 3rd goal of the season assisted by Brady Wicklund. The Lakers looked like they may carry a 2-goal advantage into the 2nd, but Edison Weeks scored an unassisted goal with 30 seconds remaining to make it a 1 goal deficit.
8 minutes into the 2nd period the North Stars would score another to even the game at 2. Dylan Winsor scored on the power play, the North Stars 3rd goal with the man advantage in 2 games. R.J. Dickie and Matthew Halushak assisted on the goal. The game would stay tied until the last minute of the period until Fort Frances took the lead once more. Blake Ferris would score with 47 seconds remaining assisted by Brady Krentz. Not to be outdone Edison Weeks would again score a late period goal as he found the back of the net with 16 seconds remaining tying the game at 3. Nikolas Campbell and E.J. Paddington picked up assists on the tally.
The 3rd period was a track meet with 31 shots on goal registered, 17 to Thunder Bay and 14 to Fort Frances. Despite the high number of shots most of the period passed by scoreless until there was just under a minute and a half remaining. Capitalizing on a Laker turnover Dimitri Trahiotis found the back of the net to give the North Stars their very 1st lead of the game. Colby Feist and Darren Voisey picked up assists on the game winner.
Kennan Marks stopped 34 of 37 for his 2nd win of the weekend. Brenden Stroble made 48 saves in a losing effort. The 3 stars of the game from 1st to 3rd were Dimitri Tahiotis, Brenden Stroble, and Darnell Kempf.