Staff
Wayne Strachan officially has had it up to here with his hockey team.
The Fort Frances Lakers’ head coach and general manager had steam coming out of his ears after last night’s 7-2 loss to the host Dryden GM Ice Dogs.
“We had far too many players not show up tonight and we did not want to compete to help our cause,” Strachan fumed to Junior Hockey Network after his team’s most lopsided loss of the season.
“It was the outmost disrespect for the Lakers’ uniform I have seen in many years,” he added.
“We have too many players with their own agenda and at this level, if you don’t come to compete, you do not have success.
“It’s a game I hope we really look at and learn from,” Strachan added.
“We had a chance to move up in the standings and help our own cause for further down the road in the season, but we forgot to show up.”
With a win, the Lakers (8-10-1-3) could have pulled even with the expansion Thief River Falls Norskies (9-10-1-3) for fourth place in the SIJHL.
Instead, they gave up five unanswered goals after tying the game 2-2 in the second period.
The Lakers were outshot 39-22 for the game and went 0-for-9 with the man advantage while also giving up two power-play goals on six chances for second-place Dryden (17-3-3).
Nic Noseworthy had the lone goal of the first during a power play for the second-place Ice Dogs (17-3-3), who haven’t lost in regulation time in their past 10 games.
Mark Ziobro made it 2-0 in the second before the Lakers replied with goals 1:19 apart by Maverick Lynes and Matt Tustin.
But it was all Dryden after that. Long-time Lakers’ nemesis Derek McPhail put the hosts ahead again with 1:44 left in the period.
SIJHL goal-scoring leader Eric Stout notched his 22nd of the season just 59 seconds into the third before Jacen Bracko followed 21 seconds later to give the Ice Dogs a 5-2 lead.
Another lightning-fast double shot came with less than five minutes to go when Braeden Allkins tallied twice in a 15-second span.
Patrick Zubick made 20 saves to earn the win while Dakota Delbridge allowed all seven goals while turning aside 32 shots.
“We are making far too many soft mistakes and we need a goalie who wants to step up and be a number-one,” said Strachan.
“Someone we can count on to make some big saves to help us win hockey games.”
The Lakers will get another chance to take over fourth place when they face the Norskies in a home-and-home series this weekend.
The teams will clash here first tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. at the Ice For Kids Arena.
The theme for the evening is “Face Off With Youth Homelessness,” with fans being asked to bring along a non-perishable food item to support “The Push For Change.”
The second game then goes Saturday in Thief River Falls.
In related news, the Lakers have released goalie Ryan Wagner and defenceman Bryce Patterson.
Wagner, a 19-year-old from Indianapolis in his first season with the Lakers, went 5-2-1-1 with a 3.05 GAA and .916 save percentage, along with one shutout.
Patterson, also 19, never got a chance to suit up for the squad after the Oshawa native broke his wrist in training camp and had been sidelined ever since.
Meanwhile, the SIJHL today announced some schedule changes that will affect three Lakers’ road games.
The Feb. 15 game with the Minnesota Iron Rangers in Hoyt Lakes has been moved to March 1.
In its place will be a showdown between the Lakers and Ice Dogs that was to be played March 17.
And the original March 1 game between Fort Frances and Dryden has been bumped up to Jan. 30.
