Canadians start second half with sweep

A different division didn’t render different results for Dave Egan and his Fort Frances Midget ‘AA’ Canadians.
The second half of the Manitoba Eastman Midget League schedule got underway in earnest last weekend, with the Canadians picking up a pair of road wins to give themselves a 2-0 mark in the newly-formed ‘A’ Division.
Fort Frances beat the Pine Falls Junior Paper Kings on Saturday afternoon for the second time this season, this time by a 9-4 score.
“We came out more disciplined and stuck to our game plan,” said Egan, whose team scored three times in each period.
“The guys were forechecking and back-checking well, and everything came together,” he added.
The victory came even with fill-in goaltender Jon Fraser from Atikokan between the pipes.
Fraser answered the emergency call with starter Mark Buist gone to a tournament in Brandon with the Muskie senior boys’ basketball squad and back-up Wade Friesen still suspended from an incident during an exhibition game against the Dryden Renegades last month.
The Canadians led 3-2 after the first on goals by Tyler Pocock, Scott McFayden, and Elijah Smith. Mitch Bestchette and Colin Curr replied for Pine Falls.
Atikokan native Zach Halwachs tallied 3:45 apart early in the second to put Fort Frances up by three, only to have Blayne Dube and Patrick Brineliski connect for the Paper Kings to make it 5-4.
Marc Riordon delivered a dagger to the heart of Pine Falls, though, when the Canadians forward tallied with 17 seconds left in the middle session to put Fort Frances up two entering the third.
Smith, Shaun Egan, and Brett Perreault then did the damage for the Canadians in the third as the Paper Kings killed themselves with penalties—earning five minors to none for Fort Frances.
On Saturday in LaBroquerie, Riordon had the unlikely quick trigger finger, having been held scoreless for the season before the weekend. He riddled the host team for a hat trick—including the game-winner—in a 6-5 nail-biter.
Halwachs and Tanner Ward sandwiched goals around markers by LaBroquerie’s Thomas Jewett and Eric Vielfaure in the first period to send the teams to the break knotted at 2-2.
Riordon and Egan had the only tallies in the second to make it a two-goal lead. Riordon then completed his hat trick on either side of a goal by LaBroquerie’s Kevin Funk for a 6-3 advantage.
The home team wouldn’t roll over and play dead, though, storming back on goals by Scott McMaster and Alain Beauchamp to close the gap to one with 8:23 to go.
But Friesen—in his return to action—made sure LaBroquerie drew no closer by holding off the Manitoba attackers the rest of the way.
In related news, the Canadians won a 3-0 exhibition decision Monday night in Baudette against the Lake of the Woods Bears junior varsity team.
Brian Vargas scored in the first while Brett Meyers and Riordon added second-period tallies to cap the offence.
Fort Frances returns to regular-season action against Springfield this Sunday at 11:45 a.m. at the Ice for Kids Arena here.