Staff
If the English River Miners are feeling something pressing against their backs today, chances are good it’s probably a wall.
The Miners are down to their last gasp after falling 5-1 to the Fort Frances Lakers last night at the Cochenour to trail 3-0 in their best-of-seven SIJHL semi-final series.
Game 4 goes there tonight, with a victory putting the Lakers into the SIJHL final for a fifth-straight year as they look to secure their third-consecutive title.
Fort Frances opened the scoring at 2:37 of the first when Dustin Deugau bulged the twine for the only goal of the period.
League MVP Dylan Robertson continued his masterful run with his series-leading sixth goal at 15:04 of the second.
Exactly one minute later, SIJHL rookie-of-the-year Cole Tymkin made it 3-0.
Tymkin then helped set up Nolan Ross’ goal at 19:03 to finish off a burst of three goals in 3:59 for the visitors.
Robertson got his first assist of the post-season in the third when he fed A.J. Rupert for a short-handed marker at 3:12.
Bryan Kromm ended Pierce Dushenko’s shutout bid with a power-play goal at 7:14.
Dushenko wound up with 27 saves to earn the victory.
Korlan Vader had 28 stops in a losing cause.
Should English River win tonight, Game 5 would go Saturday at 7:30 p.m at the Ice For Kids Arena.
The other semi-final resumes tonight when the Thunder Bay North Stars host the Dryden GM Ice Dogs.
Dryden leads that series 2-0.
