SUPERIOR INTERNATIONAL JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
SIJHL COMMUNICATIONS
MEDIA RELEASE
Release Date: Friday, Sept. 27, 2013
Thunder Bay tops Wisconsin, Minnesota edges English River in OT
THUNDER BAY, Ont. – A double dose of Superior International Junior Hockey League action Friday saw the Thunder Bay North Stars remain unbeaten by defeating the Wisconsin Wilderness 6-4 while the Minnesota Iron Rangers picked up their first victory of the young season by edging the English River Miners 5-4 in overtime.
THUNDER BAY NORTH STARS 6 WISCONSIN WILDERNESS 4 – At the Ice House in Spooner, Wis., visiting Thunder Bay won for a third straight road game and handied the Wilderness the loss in their home opener.
For a second consecutive contest Brandon Wolframe was the offensive catalyst for the North Stars by tallying twice and doling out a pair of assists.
Daniel Delpaggio meanwhile scored once and dished out a pair of helpers to aid the Thunder Bay production while Matthias Gardiman and Alex Vaillant, with the game-winner, also connected for the North Stars, who scored three times late to pull out the win.
Darrick Howard had a pair of markers and an assist for Wisconsin while Zach Kraft and Sawyer Jacobsen supplied singles.
Shots on goal favoured Thunder Bay by a 52-47 margin with Eric Mann picking up the win and Luke Thompson suffered the defeat.
MINNESOTA IRON RANGERS 5 ENGLISH RIVER MINERS 4 (OT) – Thomas Fazio’s second goal of the game, coming on the power play 1:56 into overtime lifted Minnesota past English River at Hoyt Lakes Arena.
The Miners jumped out to a 2-0 lead early with Taylor Bargar and John Morales connecting for English River only to see Matt O’Dea strike late in the opening frame to make it close after one period of play.
After Minnesota’s Jason Reynolds tied it with the man advantage 7:25 into the second stanza the visitors answered back with tallies 17 seconds apart from Devan Vander Wyk and Jared Binguis to put the Miners up 4-2 after 40 minutes.
Midway through the third the Iron Rangers pulled even in quick order getting markers from O’Dea and Fazio only 11 seconds apart to force OT.
In the extra session Fazio buried the game-winner just eight seconds after a Miners penalty was called.
Alex Reichle stopped all 14 shots he faced in relief to pick-up the victory while Minnesota starter Patrick Anderson allowed four goals on 11 attempts in 35 minutes of work.
P.D. Melgoza was peppered with 42 pucks in defeat, but his efforts allowed the Miners to record their first point in franchise history.
SIJHL play continues Saturday with English River and the Iron Rangers wrapping up a two-game set in Hoyt Lakes at 7 p.m. while the Fort Frances Lakers will host the Dryden Ice Dogs at Ice for Kids Arena at 7:30 p.m.