Mitch Calvert
The Fort Frances Canadians jumped out to a 3-0 lead, then held on for a 4-2 win over the Dryden Renegades in Midget ‘AA’ action here Sunday.
D.J. Bombay scored twice, Jordan Sinclair added a goal and two assists, and Nathan Calder had the other marker for the home side while Travis Kruger and Matt Boyko replied for Dryden.
Bombay scored five minutes into the first to get the ball rolling as the Canadians carried the play during the opening period.
Sinclair made it 2-0 on a highlight reel effort—snapping a shot top shelf from in close with the smallest of openings to fire at. Bombay then netted his second of the period less than a minute later off a scramble in front to give the Canadians the comfortable lead.
Both teams also exchanged some big hits to close out the period.
The Renegades came alive in the second when Kruger and Boyko scored just over two minutes apart to close the gap to 3-2, but they could get no closer as the Canadians regained momentum as the game wore on.
Calder iced the victory with an insurance marker in the third.
“We did some good things out there, but we also have areas we have to improve on and work on,” Canadians’ head coach Dave Egan said. “You get to see those things from the games, and right now we’ve only had four games to assess.
“We are a young team with only six returnees, so we expected to take time to gel, but at the same time we are pleased with the boys progress so far,” he added.
Fort Frances was without Cole Calder on Sunday, who normally plays alongside Sinclair, and Egan said his presence was sorely missed.
The Canadians next host a pair of games against Shattuck St. Mary’s this Saturday and Sunday (Nov. 8-9) at the Ice for Kids Arena, where they’ll look to avenge a pair of lopsided losses there to open the season.
