Staff
For more than 59 minutes, the Fort Frances Lakers were outplaying significantly one of the best teams the NOJHL has to offer.
In less than 20 seconds, it didn’t matter much.
The Cochrane Crunch scored twice in 17 seconds late in the second period to earn a 2-0 win over the Lakers on the second day of the annual “SIJHL Showcase,” this year being held in Hoyt Lakes and Virginia, Mn.
Hunter Atchison converted a set-up from Seamus Maguire, then Maguire tallied unassisted to account for all the scoring.
Brett Young did the rest—racking up 36 saves for Cochrane, which sits atop the NOJHL’s East Division with a 31-7-2-2 record.
The Lakers pulled Pierce Dushenko with 1:15 left but were unable to capitalize in the only one of the three games the Lakers will play at the “Showcase” that won’t count in the SIJHL standings.
They opened the “Showcase” on Tuesday with a 3-2 shootout win over the Thunder Bay North Stars (20-18-0-3).
And as was the case here Saturday night against the Minnesota Iron Rangers, it was Nolan Ross scoring in the third round on a backhander for the only goal for either team in the shootout.
Brad Thrower scored the only goal of the first period—the first even-strength marker given up by the Lakers in more than three games.
Ross tied it on a three-way play involving A.J. Rupert and Dylan Robertson at the 13-minute mark of the second.
Jake Robinson seemingly put the North Stars in front to stay late in the third.
But Nick Minerva, back from his one-game suspension by the league for a spearing incident Jan. 16 game against the Dryden GM Ice Dogs, knotted the game about a minute later.
Dushenko stopped Nicholas Nigro, Thrower, and Kristopher Hamlin during the shootout.
Eric Mann denied Robertson and Andrew Willner before Ross again played the hero to give the Lakers their fourth-straight league win.
The Lakers wrapped up play at the “Showcase” this afternoon against the last-place English River Miners (9-26-1-4).
Their next home game is slated for Feb. 6 against those same Miners.
