Joey Payeur
Fifteen wins in a row, 10 days off, one happy first-place team.
That sums up the Fort Frances Lakers after they completed a home-and-home sweep of the Dryden Ice Dogs with a 5-2 win there Saturday night.
“I think the break is welcomed by the team,” head coach and general manager Wayne Strachan said about the Lakers (16-1-0-1) not being back in competition until Nov. 19.
That’s when they head to Thunder Bay to face the second-place North Stars (10-2-1-2), who trail Fort Frances by 10 points for top spot with three games in hand.
“We can hem and haw about should we do [the break],” Strachan added. “But we will find out on Nov. 19 how it affects us.”
It was a matter of sharing the offensive wealth Saturday as 12 different players registered at least one point against the Ice Dogs.
“We believe we bring four lines that can score,” said Strachan.
“All four lines, for the most part, play in all situations and we have been fair to all of our players,” he added.
“But if you can put out four lines that can score, it’s definitely a bonus to your team.”
Miles Nolan’s short-handed marker at 1:23 of the first opened the scoring for the Lakers.
Mason Meyer connected 1:50 later to double the advantage, with Dryden’s Chris Sitko slicing the lead in half at 12:23.
In the second, Brent Aiken was in the right place at the right time to put home what proved to be the game-winner at 3:59.
“It was hard work, some bounces, and [Aiken being] Johnny-on-the-spot to bang in the [well-deserved] goal,” said Strachan.
The Ice Dogs (9-12) pushed back again with Tim Kavanaugh’s power-play goal at 9:18.
But Billy Grillo restored the two-goal lead at 16:27 with his fourth before Hunter Leishman netted the lone goal of the final frame at 12:40 to cap the scoring.
Lucas DeBenedet was the only multi-point Laker for the night with two assists.
DeBenedet has regained the SIJHL “Triple Crown” lead as he is tops in goals (15), points (31), and tied for the lead in assists (16) with Thomas Fazio of the Minnesota Iron Rangers.
Jordan Cartney, who appears to have earned the No. 1 job between the pipes, made 23 saves to post the victory.
Robert Kopytek-McKenzie lost for the second time in a week against Fort Frances despite making 36 stops.
Lakers’ forward Donovan Cousineau, meanwhile, suffered a lower-body injury Saturday and will be re-evaluated during the team’s hiatus from action.
Defenceman John Dora (upper-body injury) missed his fourth-straight game, but said earlier last week he expects to be healthy enough to return to action for the game against the Stars.
The Lakers’ next home game is Nov. 22, when the Wisconsin Wilderness visit the Ice For Kids Arena at 7:30 p.m.
