Staff
Yesterday was one to forget for the Fort Frances Lakers.
The Lakers kept it closer than 48 hours earlier, but still dropped a 4-2 decision to the Minnesota Iron Rangers in SIJHL action last night in Hoyt Lakes.
To top things off, the squad was without SIJHL scoring leader Colton Spicer (19 points), who was handed a three-game suspension by the league yesterday for an incident in Tuesday night’s 6-0 loss to the Iron Rangers here.
Spicer was sidelined for a high hit to the head he delivered to one of the Rangers in the opening minute of the third period.
No penalty was given on the play, but a video review done by the league later deemed it was a suspendable offence.
Spicer also will miss tomorrow night’s game here against the English River Miners, as well as Tuesday’s battle with the visiting Dryden GM Ice Dogs.
In sweeping the home-and-home series, Minnesota
(6-1-0-1) stretched its winning streak to five games and now is only two points back of the Lakers (7-3-1) for first place.
The Iron Rangers also hold three games in hand.
Noah Anderson put the hosts up 1-0 at 4:30 of the first before Bryson Jasper continued his pattern of scoring every second game with his fourth of the season at 16:52.
Jasper’s marker also ended Kyle Carignan’s brilliant streak of 171:41 without allowing a goal, which included two shutouts along the way.
The Iron Rangers took the lead for good at 18:42 when Jason Reynolds scored for the second-straight game against the Lakers.
Eric Madison stretched the lead to two at 2:49 of the second before A.J. Rupert ended goalie Ryan Ferguson’s night with his tally at 15:12.
Ferguson was yanked in favour of Devin Tappenden, who was pulled in Tuesday’s loss but turned aside all 11 shots he faced last night.
Wyatt Cota rounded out the scoring at 18:30 with his power-play marker and fifth of the season.
The third period was scoreless.
