SUPERIOR INTERNATIONAL JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
SIJHL MEDIA UPDATE
Release Date: Friday, Sept. 30, 2016
Unbeaten North Stars hand GM Ice Dogs 1st loss
DRYDEN, Ont. – The Thunder Bay North Stars scored four times on the power play and got a goal and two assists from defenceman Ryan Walsh to help them defeat the Dryden GM Ice Dogs 5-3 Friday in a Superior International Junior Hockey League contest at Memorial Arena.
In this latest meeting between these two long-time rivals, it was Dryden that got on the board first as Braeden Allkins connected during an early man advantage opportunity to give the home side the lead.
Thunder Bay responded with a power play marker of their own at 11:02 when Nicholas Nigro notched his fourth of the season.
Up a man again, the North Stars went on top for good just over two minutes later compliments of a Brad Arabia effort.
Tyler Minoletti’s first at 17:02 then gave the visitors a 3-1 lead after one period of play.
The two sides tightened up from there as they played a scoreless middle stanza.
Walsh then made it 4-1 Thunder Bay during a man advantage at 6:33 of the third.
Battling back, the GM Ice Dogs made it interesting as they scored twice in under two minutes as Eric Stout, with his league-leading seventh goal and Jacen Bracko’s fourth pulled Dryden to within one with 6:53 to play.
However the North Stars power play struck for a fourth time with just over five minutes to play as Jesse Talakoski connected to round out the night’s scoring.
Kris Hamlin, Joe Newhouse and Brad Thrower joined Walsh with two-assist nights to aid the Thunder Bay cause.
Dan Demaria made 33 saves to record his first SIJHL win while Taylor Unruh faced 32 shots in defeat for Dryden.
With the decision the North Stars improve to 3-0-0-0 with Dryden suffering their first setback as they dropped to 2-1-0-0.