Thunder face 10-day layoff after split

Call it extended training camp.
The Borderland Thunder have plenty of time to fine-tune their game during their 10-day break following a weekend split with the visiting Thunder Bay KC Bulldogs to open the SIJHL season.
“We’re glad for the break,” said head coach Dave Allison, pointing to the fact that, including the team’s home-and-home exhibition series last week against the Fargo-Moorhead Jets of the North American Hockey League, the Thunder had played four games in six nights.
“We’re going to work hard [in practice] and get consistent at working harder so we’re all on the same page,” Allison added. “It should be an exciting 10 days, and then, to me, we have the real home-opener [Sept. 30 against the Dryden Ice Dogs].”
Allison’s comments referred to a disagreement between Hockey Canada and USA Hockey over the transfer fees required for a junior player from one country to play hockey in the other.
SIJHL commissioner Harvey Fedell said the situation first arose last year, and while an agreement was signed Sept. 16 to bring a resolution to the issue, the appropriate paperwork had not gone through all proper channels before this last weekend’s action.
As such, the U.S. players on both the Thunder and Bulldogs were forced to sit on the sidelines since they would not have had the necessary insurance coverage to suit up until the agreement was completely official.
The only exceptions to the rule were Drew Fisher and Ryan Kramer of the Thunder, both from International Falls, who were given permission to play because of Hockey Canada’s special classification for players based in communities bordering both countries.
The reduced rosters gave some lesser lights on both teams the chance to shine during the two-game set here.
Rookie goalie Channing MacDonald shook off a difficult first 30 minutes to keep the Bulldogs in the game and allow the Thunder Bay crew to rally from a 3-0 deficit for a 5-3 victory Friday night.
Adam Sergerie scored twice for the visitors, with Kris King, Sean Duffy, and Tyler Trichillo adding singles. Fisher, Ian Lockman, and Dennis Morrison all tallied for the Thunder.
Then in Saturday night’s rematch, rookie goalie Ryan Crane turned aside 24 shots to post his first SIJHL shutout as the Thunder blanked the Bulldogs 3-0.
Mike Niskala and Eric Schulz each struck for a goal and an assist in that one while Aaron Boyer netted the eventual game-winner late in the first period.
In the back end of the two-game clash with Fargo-Moorhead here last Wednesday night, the Thunder played a far better game than two nights earlier when they lost 6-0 and were outshot 66-10 by the host Jets.
But Matt Grasseschi tallied at 14:02 of the second period as Fargo-Moorhead swept the series with a 4-1 win.
Shane Holman, Chris Myhro, and Josh Schaffer rounded out the scoring for the Jets while Kurt Hogard’s late power-play goal spoiled Fargo-Moorhead’s shutout bid.