Staff
The Fort Frances Lakers are hoping home ice will produce a different outcome.
The Lakers will host the English River Miners tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the Ice For Kids after falling 5-2 last night at the Cochenour Arena to kick off the home-and-home series.
It was the Lakers’ 10th-straight loss, and widened the gap between the fourth-place Miners (12-12-0-3) and fifth-place Lakers (6-19-1-1) to 13 points.
Buoyed by the return of head coach/general manager Derek Sweet-Coulter, who arrived back after helping Canada West, as an assistant coach, win the World Junior ‘A’ Challenge in Truro, N.S., English River got off to a quick start when Matt O’Neill scored just 48 seconds into the game.
The Lakers got that one back two minutes later thanks to Jack Bernie’s seventh goal of the season.
But the Miners regained the lead with just 14 seconds left in the first on Nic Herringer’s first goal of the night.
Jaedin Ness tied it for the Lakers four minutes into the second, only to see Terix Fischer-Kobes connect on the power play a couple of shifts later to put the home side up 3-2 heading into the third.
Another man-advantage opportunity in the final frame helped English River extend its cushion as Spencer Milne scored at 7:21.
Herringer later added an empty-netter to seal the win.
Ismael Ralsten had 22 stops in taking the loss.
Editor’s note: This article was compiled based on information posted on the SIJHL website.
