Lucas Punkari
For the second-straight season, the Fort Frances Lakers and Dryden Ice Dogs are squaring off in the SIJHL semi-finals, with their latest seven-game clash getting underway tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the Ice For Kids Arena here.
While only a single point separated the two squads in the final regular-season standings, the third-seeded Ice Dogs did take the season series over the second-ranked Lakers by an 8-4 margin.
Leading the way for the Lakers, who lost an opening-round mini-series with the regular-season champion Wisconsin Wilderness, are Henry Gutierrez, Dan Smith, Byron Katapaytuk, and SIJHL regular-season goal scoring leader Tyler Stevenson, who all have three points in four games so far this post-season.
As for the Ice Dogs, who swept the last-place Duluth Clydesdales in their best-of-seven quarter-final series, they possess the top two scorers in the post-season in forwards Thomas Greene and Ben McClellan, who have 10 and nine points, respectively.
Dryden also boasts SIJHL MVP recipient Jon Mitchell anchoring the blueline.
The Ice Dogs, who ousted the Lakers in six games in last year’s semi-final showdown, also possess the top goalie in the playoffs so far in Ian Perrier, who is sporting a perfect 4-0 record along with an eye-popping 0.94 goals against average and .934 save percentage.
But Lakers’ starter Tyler Ampe is no slouch between the pipes, either, coming into the semi-finals with a 2-1-0 mark to go with a 2.73 GAA and .934 save percentage.
Game 2 of the series is set for Sunday at 8 p.m. at the Ice For Kids Arena before it shifts to Dryden for the next two contests Tuesday and Thursday at 7:30 p.m.
Game 5, if necessary, would take place here next Friday at 7:30 p.m. while a sixth game, if needed, would occur back in Dryden on Monday, March 28 at 7:30 p.m.
A seventh and deciding game, if needed, would be hosted by the Lakers on Tuesday, March 29 at 7:30 p.m.
The other SIJHL semi-final series also gets underway tonight in Spooner, Wis., where the Wilderness will battle the fourth-seeded Thunder Bay North Stars, winners of the last two league titles.
Game 2 of that series will go tomorrow night in Spooner before the series heads to the Fort William Gardens in Thunder Bay next Thursday (March 24).
