Lucas Punkari
It was a mixed weekend on home ice for the Fort Frances Lakers as the local Junior ‘A’ squad opened its SIJHL regular-season campaign.
After rallying to take a 4-3 shootout victory over the Thunder Bay North Stars on Friday night, the Lakers were out-played by the Sioux Lookout Flyers in a 4-2 loss the following evening.
“I think the boys just went in over-confident tonight,” Lakers’ forward Ryan Wildman said following Saturday’s loss.
“Just because we beat them in the pre-season twice doesn’t mean the same thing is going to happen in the regular season,” he reasoned.
“We come here to be the hardest-working team and they definitely out-worked us.”
Flyers’ defenceman Jacob Brown led the way offensively with three assists while goalie Jayme Brattengeier made 31 saves—many of them of the dramatic variety—to earn the game’s first star.
Jaret Leclair and Jordan Larson scored for the Lakers, with Larson’s goal 35 seconds into the third period tying the game at 2-2.
But Anthony Wolfe put the Flyers out front for good just 39 seconds later.
First-year Lakers’ netminder Tanner Hamilton made 37 saves in the loss.
On Friday night, the Lakers found themselves trailing 3-1 during the late stages of the third period when Larson, a Fort Frances product, netted a pair of goals in a two-and-half minute span to knot things up and force overtime.
With the extra frame solving nothing, the game went to a shootout, where Larson put a backhander past North Stars’ goalie Mikkel Bilodeau to cap off his first star performance.
“That was fun, eh,” smiled Larson, a Soo Greyhounds’ prospect, after his debut with the Lakers.
“That was the best feeling ever, right in front of the home crowd in the first game of the season,” he enthused.
“The entire place was going nuts.
“I certainly didn’t expect that to happen tonight, and I certainly didn’t expect to shoot last in the shootout to try and win it,” Larson added.
Captain Blake Boaz also found the back of the net for the Lakers during regulation time.
At the other end of the rink, Tyler Ampe turned aside 33 shots, and also made a huge pad save on Travis Tilley during the shootout to set up Larson’s game-winner.
Kyle Breukelman led the North Stars with a pair of goals, with Devon Fullum notching the other one.
The Lakers next hit the road tomorrow night in Dryden, where they will take on the Ice Dogs in a 7:30 p.m. tilt.
The squad then will welcome the defending SIJHL champion Wisconsin Wilderness to the Ice for Kids Arena on Friday night before embarking on a two-game road trip to face the Wilderness and Duluth Clydesdales to round out the weekend.