Staff
The score looked so good one day, the Fort Frances Lakers opted for a repeat the following night.
The Lakers used a three-goal third period to top the host Thunder Bay North Stars 5-3 on Saturday after having earned a road win over the Dryden GM Ice Dogs on Friday by that same score.
With the wins, the Lakers (12-2) extended their current winning streak to five games and opened a five-point lead atop the standings over the second-place Ice Dogs (9-4-1).
With first place on the line, Fort Frances rallied from a 2-0 deficit in the first period by torching Dryden’s penalty-killing units for four goals before capping things off with an empty-netter.
Dylan Robertson, Andrew Willner, Nick Minerva, Jack Bernie, and Franco Colapaolo scored for the Lakers while Pierce Dushenko made 27 saves to earn the win.
Derek McPhail, Nic Noseworthy, and Braeden Allkins replied for the Ice Dogs.
On Saturday, the game was squared at 2-2 entering the final frame, and then 3-3 with three minutes to go when
Robertson scored the first of back-to-back goals.
He iced the victory with an empty-netter with 14 second left.
Julian Uhryniuk, Cole Tymkin and Christian Ripley also tallied for the Lakers, with Dushenko racking up 30 saves.
Christian Ward, Kristopher Hamlin, and Jesse Talakoski had the goals for the last-place North Stars (6-9-0-1).
In a roster move, the Lakers added goalie Ryan Ferguson on Saturday.
The Atikokan native and former Muskie filled in for injured back-up goalie Brandon Bodnar, who is out indefinitely with a lower-body injury.
The Lakers hit the ice again Thursday when they head to Ear Falls to battle the fourth-place English River Miners (5-8-1-3).
Their next home game is this Saturday at 7:30 p.m. against the North Stars.
