Lucas Punkari
The Fort Frances Lakers will be gunning to get it done tonight.
The squad can wrap up the first Bill Salonen Cup crown in franchise history tonight when they host the Wisconsin Wilderness in Game 6 of the best-of-seven SIJHL final.
The puck drops at 7:30 p.m. at the Ice For Kids Arena.
After earning a 2-1 win here Thursday night, the Lakers had a chance to wrap up the series Saturday night in Spooner. But the Wilderness staved off elimination with a 3-1 victory.
With their backs to the wall, the Wilderness came out firing in the first period Saturday, outshooting the Lakers 21-5. But only forward Andrew Anderson hit the twine to give the home side a 1-0 lead.
After a scoreless second period, Shane Topf’s shot beat Lakers’ goalie Tyler Ampe early in the third to give Wisconsin a 2-0 lead.
But Connor Hady netted a power-play marker just past the halfway point of the period to cut the deficit to one.
The Lakers continued to press for the tying goal, but Jeremy Johnson notched an empty-netter to seal the victory for Wisconsin.
On Thursday night here, Jordan Larson and Alex Bruess scored early in the final frame to give the Lakers a 2-1 come-from-behind victory.
Ampe turned aside 28 shots to earn the game’s first star.
Johnson tallied the lone goal for the Wilderness, with Tanner Milliron making 24 saves.
If Wisconsin wins tonight, the seventh-and-deciding game goes Wednesday at 7 p.m. back in Spooner.
At stake is a berth in this year’s Dudley Hewitt Cup, which will get underway Tuesday (April 17) at the Fort William Gardens in Thunder Bay.
