Staff
Jared Virtanen and Dylan Kooner are moving north in the SIJHL scoring race which, not coincidentally, is aiding their team’s cause of moving the same direction in the standings.
The Fort Frances Lakers’ “Duo of Destruction” garnered nine points as the three-time defending SIJHL champs won a pair of weekend games to vault into fourth place with 37 points (16-14-2-3).
Virtanen and Kooner each had an assist in the Lakers’ 3-2 overtime win against the Thunder Bay North Stars on Friday night at the Ice For Kids Arena.
Then on Saturday, Virtanen netted a hat trick and an assist, while Kooner added three helpers, as the Lakers topped the host English River Miners 6-5.
Friday night’s win was the first for the Lakers in eight tries this season against the second-place North Stars (24-10-3-0) after two shootout and five regulation losses–the most recent coming just two days earlier in a 6-1 rout in Thunder Bay.
Jack Bernie (power play) and Ian Jarvis staked the locals to a 2-0 lead in the first period.
But as been the case all season between these two teams, nothing would come easy for the Lakers.
Brad Arabia halved the lead just 14 seconds into the second period before John Parrott netted the equalizer at 7:56 of the third.
That left Ryan Gazich to play the hero as he took Jarvis’ pass and notched the decisive goal 2:54 into overtime.
Brandon Bodnar made 41 saves to earn the win over Nathaniel Dupuis (32 stops).
The Miners (15-16-1-3), who lost 11-4 to the league-leading Dryden GM Ice Dogs (28-4-4) on Friday to slip behind the Lakers in the standings, looked fully prepared to reclaim fourth place Saturday night.
Bodnar allowed Jared Janke’s marker 57 seconds in, then Braedan Pearce’s goal at 8:30 put the Lakers in a 2-0 deficit.
Matt Tustin kicked off a 3-for-5 night on the power play for the Lakers just 1:26 after Pearce’s tally.
But Pearce struck back with goals 47 seconds apart just over a minute later to send Bodnar to the bench.
Jessie Heisz’s relief appearance served to fire up the Lakers–particularly Virtanen and Kooner.
Virtanen made it 4-2 at 13:36 of the first, then added two more at 5:13 (power play) and 8:26 of the second (both up by Kooner), to send the game to the third tied at 4-4.
Dawson Waddell gave the Lakers their first lead at 4:49 of the third.
It was short-lived, though, as Dante Raposo netted his first of the season just 36 seconds later to tie things up again.
But Virtanen and Kooner assisted on Connor Keith’s man-advantage marker at 8:14 that stood up as the game-winner.
Heisz turned aside 32 shots to get the win in relief of Bodnar.
Virtanen now sits second in league scoring with 55 points, trailing only Dryden’s Braeden Allkins (58) despite playing four less games.
The Lakers forward also leads the SIJHL in assists (39) and points per game average (1.83).
Kooner’s work, meanwhile, has the veteran in a three-way tie for fourth place at 48 points with Dryden’s Eric Stout and Derek McPhail.
He also is fifth in goals (24).
Tustin also is on the rise–joining Logan Froberg (Minnesota Iron Rangers) and Michael Johnson (Thief River Falls Norskies) in a tie for 12th with 37 points.
Brandon Zajicek was back with the Lakers for Saturday’s game following his three-game suspension for a cross-checking major and game misconduct he received against the Norskies on Jan. 13.
But Zajicek reportedly suffered an upper-body injury against the Miners that threatened to sideline him for the annual SIJHL “Showcase,” which began yesterday in Thief River Falls.
Scouts from the college, pro, and junior ranks were expected to be on hand to mine the SIJHL talent field for future prospects.
The Lakers faced last-place Minnesota (6-26-2) yesterday, with the score unavailable at press time.
Then they face the host Norskies (18-14-2-3) in their matchup today to wrap up the “Showcase.”
Fort Frances then heads to Thief River Falls again Saturday for another showdown with the Norskies.
Then it’s off to Dryden on Monday to take on the Ice Dogs before concluding their road swing Tuesday against the North Stars.
The Lakers’ next home game is slated for Feb. 3 against English River.
