Lakers earn weekend split

Staff

A few more bodies in the lineup made all the difference in the world to the Dryden GM Ice Dogs.
Cole Golka, the SIJHL’s top sniper, netted a pair of goals Saturday night to help Dryden to a 5-3 win over the host Fort Frances Lakers.
Golka’s first tally at 15:38 put Dryden (6-5-2) in front to stay.
His second of the night-and 14th of the season—into the empty net with 1:18 to go sealed the deal as the Ice Dogs snapped the Lakers’ three-game winning streak.
The defeat also cost the Lakers in terms of the CJHL’s top 20 rankings, slipping from 10th last week to No. 13 this week.
Jonathan Philley, Joel Zieroth, and Matt Houston added singles for Dryden while Tate Sproxton made 30 saves.
The victory came four nights after the Ice Dogs lost 5-4 here while only being able to ice 13 skaters due to eight players being on the injured list.
Saturday saw them up to 16 skaters, which helped Dryden preserve the lead late in the third rather than give it up as they did last Tuesday.
Bryson Jasper notched a pair of goals for the Lakers while Colton Spicer reclaimed the SIJHL scoring lead (22 points) with his eighth of the year.
Ryan Ferguson made 20 saves to take the loss.
It was a different story Friday night, when Spicer had two assists in his return from a three-game suspension to give the Lakers (10-4-1) a 4-2 win over the Minnesota Iron Rangers (6-4-1) down in Hoyt Lakes.
The Lakers’ power play had a big hand in the victory—going 3-for-4—while the penalty-killers held Minnesota’s man-advantage unit to just 1-for-7.
Miles Nolan lit the lamp twice on the power play for the Lakers while Jasper also scored with the man advantage.
Bowen Alcock added an even-strength marker to make it three-straight games with a goal for him.
Jason Reynolds and Noah Anderson replied for Minnesota.
Ferguson was brilliant on the night with 49 saves while Kyle Carignan turned aside 23 shots for the host Rangers.
The Lakers next head to Thunder Bay on Wednesday night to take on the second-place North Stars (8-5), who sit five points behind league-leading Fort Frances with two games in hand.
The Lakers’ next home game is Saturday against the Iron Rangers.