Sam Odrowski
The Lakers put in a strong effort against the Thief River Falls Norskies on Friday night at the Ice For Kids Arena here but came up short with a 3-1 loss in their final game before the SIJHL’s holiday break.
“Not the outcome we were hoping for,” Lakers’ head coach Wayne Strachan conceded.
Forward Reece Hopfner tallied the Lakers’ lone goal while defencemen Connor Bowey (two) and Jake Eischen replied for the visitors.
Norskies’ goalie Fletcher Bolda made 31 saves to earn the win while Jacob Gnidziejko made 28 stops in a losing effort.
“I thought we got better as the game went on,” noted Strachan. “[We] put pucks to the net and had chances [but] just couldn’t score.
“We lost because of three bad positioning plays,” he added.
“We were too puck-focused in the defensive zone and we made a lot of soft turnovers.”
The Lakers will focus on skill work and conditioning when they resume practising in the New Year.
Strachan said much of the Lakers’ roster improved their play during the first half of the season but added they “have greatly under-achieved as a team.”
“We need to be more consistent in our game and come to compete every night,” he stressed.
“I believe several players have grown through the first half,” he noted. “As a team, we have progressed in certain areas but we still have room to grow.”
The Lakers also have seen great fan support so far this season, and Strachan has been pleased overall with the turnouts for each game.
“For the most part, our crowds have been great,” he remarked.
“I guess you always hope for more as we rely on gate revenue to help the team operate.”
Looking ahead, Strachan said it would be nice for the team to see crowds top the 500 mark.
Heading into the holiday break, the Lakers sit in fifth place in the SIJHL with an 11-17-0-0 record (22 points).
The Thunder Bay North Stars (21-1-1-1) continue to lead the way with 44 points.
The Red Lake Miners (19-8-1-0) sit in second place with 39 points, followed by the Norskies (16-9-3-1) in third with 36 and the Dryden GM Ice Dogs (13-11-3-1) in fourth at 30.
The Minnesota Iron Rangers (3-26-0-0) remain mired in the league basement with just six points.
The Lakers resume action on Jan. 5 in Dryden before heading to Thief River Falls on Jan. 9 to face the Norskies.
Strachan noted the Jan. 10 trade deadline is approaching, adding he will evaluate his team’s status over those next two games.
“At this point we haven’t thrown in the towel,” he stressed.
“I like the make-up of our team but I do feel we need to improve in a few areas,” he conceded.
