Staff
There is nothing “special” about the Fort Frances Lakers’ special teams units right now.
Whether it was the other teams’ power play or their own, the Lakers couldn’t seem to keep the red light from going on behind their goalies in a pair of weekend losses at the Ice For Kids Arena.
First, it was the Thunder Bay North Stars going 2-for-6 with the man advantage in a 4-1 victory Friday night.
The Lakers, meanwhile, went 0-for-8 on the power play.
Then they repeated that ignominious feat Saturday night, while also giving up three man-advantage tallies and two short-handed ones, in a 6-1 rout by the English River Miners.
Even with top-line forward Tyler Minoletti out of the lineup, the first-place North Stars (7-2-1) got the job done thanks to four unanswered goals after Dylan Kooner had opened the scoring only 1:15 into the game.
Brad Arabia scored twice for the visitors while Brad Thrower and SIJHL leading scorer Nicholas Nigro (19 points) added singles.
Nathaniel Dupuis made 19 saves to earn the win.
Lakers’ starting goalie Billy Gorn went down with 1:33 left in the second period—and the Stars up 2-1—after popping out his shoulder in just his second game back after being out since training camp with a groin
injury.
Brandon Bodnar mopped up in relief, giving up two goals in the third.
On Saturday, the third-place Miners (4-2) scored twice in each period to record their second-straight win over fifth-place Fort Frances (1-5-0-1).
Reigning SIJHL player-of-the-week Sidney Gladue had both a power-play goal and a short-handed marker in the third against Lakers’ relief goalie Ryan Wagner.
Wagner had replaced starter Dylan Ossachuk, who gave up four goals his SIJHL debut, to begin the third.
Nash Dabb and Jamie Driedger netted man-advantage markers while Braeden Pearce also had a short-handed tally.
Austin Kuhn added an even-strength goal only 10 seconds into the middle frame that made it 3-0 at the time.
Jack Bernie notched the Lakers’ lone goal against Miners’ goalie Spencer Eschyschyn.
Blueliner Josh Gouin and forward Jacob Longmore were healthy scratches Friday night.
Longmore then was released Saturday after going pointless in the only game he played this season as he battled concussion issues.
Defenceman Matt Cheetham (wrist) is out for two more weeks but fellow blueliner Bryce Patterson (wrist) is getting closer to returning.
As well, defenceman Connor Keith, an 18-year-old from Kenora, made his first appearances for the Lakers on the weekend after being picked up from the Virden Oil Capitals (MJHL) on Oct. 9 for future considerations.
The Lakers will be back in action tomorrow night against the Miners in the back half of the home-and-home series.
The squad then begin another home-and-home doubleheader this Friday at 7:30 p.m. at the IFK Arena against the last-place Minnesota Iron Rangers (1-5).
The rematch is set for Saturday down in Hoyt Lakes.
