Sports

Even though it’s a home game, the Fort Frances Lakers probably would rather not be playing it.
There will be a Game 6 here Friday night after the K&A Wolverines pulled out a 5-4 win over the host Lakers last night to knot their first-round SIJHL series at two games apiece.

Playing some meaningful games did the Muskie boys’ hockey team some good.
After sweeping the Red Lake Rams in the semi-finals, the black-and-gold did the same to the Dryden Eagles in the NorWOSSA final to advance to the all-Ontarios in St. Catharines on March 23-26.

Local athletes competing at the Ontario Winter Games over the weekend ended up being stuck in the middle.
Isaac Keffer’s rink finished with a 2-3 mark, out of the medals, while the Northwestern squash team, with five of its eight members hailing from Fort Frances, wrapped up play with a 3-3 record—good for fifth place out of the eight teams.

Seventy-five shots. One goal.
Fortunately for the Fort Frances Lakers, they were the team that bulged the twine last night to earn a 1-0 win over the host K&A Wolverines and even their best-of-seven first-round playoff series at 1-1.
The Wolverines had taken Wednesday’s opener 5-3.

Isaac Keffer was given a rude welcome at the Ontario Winter Games.
The local skip and his rink of third Cody Ossachuk, second Cody Heyens, and lead Ian Grant fell 12-3 to Jack Lindsay (St. George’s Golf and Country Club).
The curling competition continues through to tomorrow, with the final draw beginning at 10 a.m.

The Fort Frances Lakers knew their recent trend of starting games slow out of the gate would lead to a quick exit from the SIJHL playoffs.
Yet history repeated itself last night as the Lakers were outshot 12-5 and outscored 3-1 in the first period en route to a 5-3 loss to the K&A Wolverines in the opener of their best-of-seven first-round series.

They’re movin’ on up.
Five Boston Pizza Royals PeeWee ‘AA’ players from Fort Frances will be representing the region at the ‘AAA’ level.
Claire Sandelovich, Jared Bethune, Carter Brown, Tyler Van Uden, and Brandon Bodnar made the Northwestern ‘AAA’ rep team, which also features players from Kenora and Dryden.

Eight men have been fined a total of $3,100 for offences related to an illegal camp on Crown land.

The Rainy River Community College Voyageurs don’t have too much territory to chart when they play in the American College Hockey Association’s national tournament.
The Voyageurs will be looking to bring home the Divison II women’s title for the third-consecutive year when the tournament begins in Blaine, Mn. on March 12.

Fort Frances native Steve Arpin finished fifth at the Tire Kingdom 150 at Palm Beach International Speedway on Saturday.
It was the fourth fifth-place finish of Arpin’s ARCA career.
His highest is a fourth-place finish last year.
The high placement also vaulted Arpin into a tie for second place in the ARCA driver standings with Robb Brent.