Dan Falloon
The Fort Frances Lakers’ preseason slate got off to a promising start in Dryden last night.
The Lakers came back on the Ice Dogs twice, first from a 2-0 first-period deficit and then from a 5-4 last-minute one, to sink the Dryden Ice Dogs 6-5 in overtime.
Former Ice Dog Matthew Caulfield put a shot past Dryden’s Christian Mueller 2:36 into the extra frame to complete the comeback.
Lakers’ grinder Mike Jourdain had tied the game with 56 seconds remaining in the third period to force the bonus action.
The Lakers outshot Dryden 30-26 overall.
The Ice Dogs had jumped on Lakers’ starting goaltender Tyler Ampe early, with Dalls Crum connecting shorthanded just 1:32 into the game.
Alex Galbraith extended Dryden’s lead to a pair late in the frame, popping one past Ampe at 19:05.
Fort Frances didn’t waste much time playing catch-up in the middle stanza, as newcomers Dan Chesser and Ty Brueggeman made cases for inclusion on the team with tallies 3:38 apart.
Dryden responded when Ben McClellan beat Ampe at 6:39, but Blake Boaz potted the equalizer 2:03 later to knot the game at three.
Boaz gave the Lakers their first lead of the game soon after, but Jon Mitchell and former Laker Conner Foster put Dryden ahead 5-4 before the wild second period was finished, setting the stage for the heroics of Jourdain and Caulfield.
The Lakers will play their home preseason debut tomorrow night when the Sioux Lookout Flyers come to town for a 7:30 p.m. puck drop.
Fort Frances will open the regular season at home two weeks later when the defending champion Fort William North Stars visit on Sept. 17.
