Joey Payeur
The Fort Frances Lakers weren’t lacking for effort, pride, or belief in themselves.
What they were missing was one more goal and nearly a full starting lineup of healthy bodies.
Matt Pinder scored the tournament-winning goal at 4:05 of the third period as the NOJHL champion Soo Thunderbirds edged the Lakers 3-2 in the final of the Dudley Hewitt Cup on Saturday night at the Ice For Kids Arena before a frenzied crowd announced at 1,357 that in reality likely topped 1,500.
Those numbers were enough to help Fort Frances set a new attendance record for the tournament.
The Thunderbirds now advance to the 2015 RBC Cup national championship in Portage la Prairie, Man. beginning Saturday.
“It’s not the outcome we wanted to see but I don’t think anyone expected us to be here tonight,” Lakers’ head coach and general manager Wayne Strachan said about a team that went farther than any Fort Frances junior squad since the community started having a franchise in the SIJHL in 2002.
“I think we did a great job to rise to the occasion and give it all we had to win the hockey game,” he added.
The Lakers made the final after a thrilling 6-4 semi-final win Friday night over the defending tourney champions—the OJHL champion Toronto Patriots, who had beaten Fort Frances in last year’s semi-final in Wellington.
But playing their fifth game in five days and with six regulars sidelined by injury (forwards Colton Spicer, Carter Chorney, Dylan Kooner, and Donovan Cousineau, defenceman Cody Antonini, and goalie Nathan Park), the Lakers’ gas tank had to have been close to empty.
“You’ve got to expect coming in that, unless you finish first, you’re going to play five in a row,” noted Strachan, who had to insert Kenora Thistles Midget ‘AAA’ recruits Turner Santin and Jack Bernie for the final, with Thistles’ teammate Brandon Bodnar filling the back-up goalie role.
“The guys were in great condition. . . .
“Say what you will about the injuries but they’re part of the game,” Strachan added.
“But the guys who were out have certainly been contributors to our team this year.”
Nick Tassone scored two second-period goals for the Soo. But each time, tournament MVP Wyatt Cota willed the Lakers back to even ground.
Cota first powered his way through three defenders to cut across the middle and tie the game 1-1 with a bullet from the slot that eluded Thunderbirds’ goalie Mario Culina.
Then it was Cota’s shot from the right circle that was tipped in by Lakers’ blueliner Nick Minerva with 1:03 left in the frame—and just 43 seconds after Tassone’s rebound goal had put the Soo in front.
“I can’t say enough . . . the guys just wouldn’t give up,” lauded Cota, who led the tournament in scoring with three goals and six assists.
Pinder scored the decisive goal in the third when the Lakers couldn’t clear the zone.
Lakers’ goalie Pierce Dushenko was brilliant for the second-straight night with 41 saves after making 43 stops to beat Toronto.
“Obviously, it’s a little disappointing to lose,” said Lakers’ captain Miles Nolan.
Soo head coach Jordan Smith knew his team had been in the fight of their lives when it was over.
“That was the toughest game we’ve had all year,” he said.
“We knew Fort was going to give us everything they had.
“It was an unbelievable job by the Fort all week,” Smith added.
“They’re a great hockey team and well-coached.”
Fort Frances still will have representation in the RBC Cup—courtesy of Davis Ross and Jordan Larson.
Ross, the twin brother of Lakers’ forward Nolan Ross, is part of the MJHL’s Portage Terriers, who already were in the national tourney as the host team.
The Terriers, ranked No. 1 in the CJHL for most of the season, finished second at the 2015 Western Canada Cup in Fort McMurray, Alta. with a 4-1-1 record.
Larson and the Carleton Place Canadians (CCHL), meanwhile, won the Fred Page Cup yesterday with a 3-2 win over the Dieppe (N.B.) Commandos in Cornwall, Ont.
Larson, who played for the Lakers in 2011-12, is in his first season with the Canadians, who won silver at last year’s RBC Cup.
