Staff
There were plenty of comebacks but no wins to show for all the hard work.
The Fort Frances Lakers nabbed their first point of the regular season but remain winless after dropping a pair of weekend games to the visiting Thunder Bay North Stars.
The North Stars held on for a 6-5 victory Saturday night, then won 4-3 in a shootout yesterday.
Fort Frances (0-3-0-1) battled back from 2-0 and 3-2 deficits Saturday night—and almost completed a third rally with two goals in the final minute after the North Stars (5-0) had gone up 6-3.
Nicholas Nigro, who has a league-high seven goals and 10 points to start the season, led Thunder Bay with a pair of goals.
Zack Glowatch, Brad Thrower, Kristopher Hamlin, and Shayne McKay added singles.
Matt Tustin, who changed his number before the game from 71 to 88, showed some Eric Lindros-like touch with his first two goals of the season to pace the Lakers.
Matt Cheetham, Jared Virtanen, and Maverick Lynes had a goal apiece.
Nathaniel Dupuis had 36 saves for the North Stars while Brandon Bodnar made 35 in taking the loss.
Then yesterday, the visitors again held leads of 2-0 and 3-1 before the Lakers tied the game with two goals past the midway point of the second.
A scoreless third set up the inaugural edition of the SIJHL’s new 3-on-3 overtime format, which gave the fans five minutes of exciting end-to-end action and a ton of scoring chances but no winner.
With the Lakers electing to go first in the shootout, Brad Arabia and Nigro repeated their regulation-time success (when they each scored in the first period) by both beating Lakers’ goalie Ryan Wagner.
Tustin scored following Oliver Alcock’s opening-round miss.
But with Virtanen needing to light the lamp to extend the shootout, North Stars’ goalie Dan Demaria thrust out his blocker to turn him away and preserve the win.
Jett Leishman had the other Thunder Bay goal in regulation time while Dylan Kooner, Tustin, and Virtanen replied for the Lakers.
The squad could have two new faces in the lineup for its next game this Saturday, when it plays its road opener against the Minnesota Iron Rangers in Hoyt Lakes.
Both goalie Billy Gorn (groin) and forward Jacob Longmore (concussion) have been deemed fit to play after having missed the first four games of the regular season with their injuries.
That leaves only defenceman Bryce Patterson (wrist) on the Lakers’ injured list.
The Lakers’ next home game is slated for Friday, Oct. 14 at 7:30 p.m. when Thunder Bay makes a return visit.
