Staff
The English River Miners had fourth place ripped from their grasp Friday morning due to a previous indiscretion by the Dryden GM Ice Dogs.
Then the Miners went on a weekend tear and took it right back from the Fort Frances Lakers.
A 2-1 win Friday night at the Ice For Kids Arena, followed by Saturday night’s 4-1 triumph in Red Lake, pushed English River (21-18-1-3) three points ahead of the fifth-place Lakers (19-18-2-3), who now have lost three-straight games.
Jared Janke and Matt O’Neill (shorthanded) both scored in the second period of Friday’s game, with Michael Lenko making 35 saves to earn the win.
Dylan Kooner notched the lone goal for the Lakers with 5:02 left in the third.
Brandon Bodnar had 25 stops in taking the loss.
In Saturday’s rematch, Brett Pickler’s power-play marker beat Lenko to put the Lakers in front in the first–a lead that almost held up through two periods.
But Trevor Pereverzoff tallied with seven seconds left in the second to tie the score.
The Miners then owned the third. First Dante Raposo put the Miners in the lead on the power play at 6:37.
Jamie Driedger and Kaden Hintz later tallied 1:19 apart to seal the victory.
Jessie Heisz made 30 stops in taking the loss.
The Lakers next host the third-place Thief River Falls Norskies (22-15-2-3) this Friday at 7:30 p.m. at the Ice For Kids Arena.
