Lucas Punkari
Heading into the first two games of the SIJHL semi-finals here on the weekend, members of the Fort Frances Lakers spoke about how big home-ice advantage was going to be.
Just like they had done in the second leg of their 1 vs. 2 “showdown” series against the Wisconsin Wilderness at the Ice For Kids Arena two weeks ago, the Lakers were the stronger squad both Friday and Saturday night, skating to 7-2 and 4-2 victories to grab a 2-0 series lead in the best-of-seven affair heading into Game 3 last night in Dryden.
“To pick up two games right away in the series is always a good thing as this puts us in a good situation going forward, and hopefully we can pull out a couple more wins here by working hard,” defenceman Jon Carlson said after Saturday’s triumph.
“Being up by two games and heading into the other team’s rink this week is a definitely a good thing,” agreed Lakers’ head coach and general manager Wayne Strachan.
“We’ve talked already in the dressing room, though, about how these games are over now and we are staying focused on the task at hand, as one of the hardest things to do in sports is to win that next game,” he added.
“We need to continue to bring the way that we have played in the first two games here and to stay focused, and maybe we can steal one up there on Tuesday and see what we can do from there.”
After giving up a first-period goal in the opener Friday night, the Lakers roared to life with six unanswered goals over the second and third frames en route to the convincing 7-2 victory.
“I think any time you can come out and get Game 1 of a series in your own rink is very important,” Strachan said.
“Our first period was pretty ugly as we weren’t moving our feet or the puck very well, and they scored a goal as a result of that,” he recalled.
“But we did a good job of getting going again in the second and the third period.
“In fact, I thought our third period was a lot better than it has been in our last few games at home,” he added.
Leading the way for the Lakers was SIJHL player-of-the-year Byron Katapaytuk. The top scorer in the playoffs so far (10 points in six games) scored a goal and assisted on three others Friday night.
“Everything that I touched seemed to work out well,” Katapaytuk smiled.
“After that goal that I scored [which tied the game at 1-1], the momentum started to change over to our side, which was a huge plus for us.
“We started to play the type of hockey that we know that we can, and it showed in the final score,” he remarked.
Katapaytuk’s linemates also had strong performances during the game, with Jordan Christianson netting a pair of goals and assisting on another while Ryan Wildman added three helpers to the cause.
“I think a lot of that comes down to the chemistry that our line has,” Christianson reasoned.
“All three of us work very hard out there and we always seem to know where each other is at all times,” he noted.
“I was actually kind of teasing Jordan and Byron before the game that they were going to need some more mouth guards as their payment for points was going to be quite high,” Strachan noted.
“They, along with Ryan, worked very hard and capitalized on their opportunities later in the game after they had been a bit snake-bitten earlier in the game,” he added.
Also scoring for the Lakers were Davis Smith, Adam Wensley, Merritt Rysavy, and Brett McMahon.
Meanwhile, Tyler Ampe made 31 saves to help his team at the other end of the rink, with a pair of goals by Ice Dogs’ forward Ryan Lobreau proving to be his only blemishes.
Saturday’s game saw the Lakers jump out to a 3-0 lead after two periods, which was enough of a cushion to hold off a late push by the Ice Dogs.
“I thought we played really good early on in the first period, as we got a goal quickly and we did a lot of the little things right,” Strachan noted.
“There was a little bit of a lull for us in the middle of that period, but our intensity came back and we carried that over into the second, where we were able to build a bigger lead.
“However, in the third period, I thought we were very passive and we were not as intense as we were earlier, and hopefully the two goals that they scored didn’t give them any momentum going into our games there,” he stressed.
The key play for the Lakers came between the two third-period markers by the Ice Dogs, when Jaret Leclair converted a slick feed from Rysavy to help his team reclaim a three-goal cushion nearly halfway through the frame.
“Even though we had a couple goal lead, Dryden was not out of the game by any means and we really had to pick it up there,” stressed Leclair, who also assisted on Henry Gutierrez’s goal just 29 seconds into the game.
“Merritt worked really hard for that goal, as he beat two guys on the wall and then we had a 2-on-1 as a result of that, where he was able to feed me the puck and I was able to put it away,” he recalled.
Katapaytuk also had a goal and an assist in that win, with Jon Carlson also tallying.
Ty Brueggeman and Cole Sonstebo were the top scorers for the Ice Dogs, with both having a goal and an assist in Saturday’s setback.
“I’m a little bit happier with how we played on Saturday than we did on Friday, but we still have a lot of things that we need to work on,” Ice Dogs’ head coach Joe West said.
“I thought that Fort Frances was more physical than we were out there, and I hope that the boys step it up at home this week and play with a lot more intensity and urgency.
“The playoffs are always a bit harder than the regular season, and I’m hoping to see a reaction from my team,” he stressed.
In related news, the Lakers were waiting to see if blueliner Brandon Fehd would be able to play in last night’s game in Dryden, along with Game 4 there tonight, after he suffered a leg injury during the second period of Friday’s 7-2 win here.
“The main thing that we want is to make sure that he is ready for the long haul, and we won’t push him back until he’s ready to go,” Strachan said.
“Hopefully, we do our part and finish up the series here quickly, which would give him some extra time to heal up and rest.”
Game 5, if necessary, would be back here Friday at 7:30 p.m.
If Game 6 is needed, it would take place Sunday (March 25) at 7:30 p.m. in Dryden.
Should the series go the distance, Game 7 is scheduled for next Tuesday (March 27) at 7:30 p.m. at the Ice For Kids Arena.
In the other SIJHL semi-final series, meanwhile, the defending Bill Salonen Cup champion Wisconsin Wilderness hold a 2-0 lead over the Thunder Bay North Stars.
Game 3 is slated for tonight at the Fort William Gardens in the Lakehead.
