Staff
The semi-final that few expected finally gave way to a championship series nearly everyone saw coming.
The Fort Frances Lakers saw their yeoman-like post-season run come to an end here Friday night with a 3-1 loss to the Dryden Ice Dogs.
The Ice Dogs took the series 4-2 and now advance to face the Fort William North Stars in the league final beginning Wednesday in Thunder Bay.
Despite the 50-point spread between the teams’ regular-season records, the Lakers made some nervous moments for the Ice Dogs, winning Games 2 and 4 to keep pace in the tight series.
But their 12th and 13th games in just over three weeks started to take a toll on the Lakers. Fort Frances took 39 shots on Dryden goalie Josh Baker on Friday night, yet rarely seemed to truly test him.
One of Fort Frances’ best chances came early in the game when Cody Edwards nearly stole the puck off Baker, who had wandered to the corner to collect a shoot-in.
The Ice Dogs got on the board soon after when Tanner Harms gathered up a Jon Mitchell rebound, outwaited Lakers’ goalie Jameson Shortreed, and lifted a shot over the outstretched 17-year-old at 10:11.
Fort Frances battled back to tie the game at 15:26, with Jordan Carne deflecting Morgan McNeill’s blast into the Dryden net.
The goal was Carne’s fourth of the playoffs, and 12th point overall, setting him as the post-season’s scoring leader after two rounds.
Before the first period was out, though, Chad Liley struck on an Ice Dogs’ power play, taking B.J. McClellan’s feed and eventually snapping a shot over a sprawled Shortreed after fanning on his first attempt.
In a series that featured very few leads greater than one goal, Dryden essentially drove the game home with Kevin Burton’s rocket midway through the second.
Burton slapped a shot off the post and in at 10:57 to put the visitors up 3-1.
The Lakers weren’t without chances to rally, but Blake Boaz’s rebound attempt was devoured by Baker’s glove.
Byron Katapaytuk later banged a puck through the crease late in the second period, leaving the Ice Dogs with their only victory of the series by more than one goal.
In all, Shortreed made 40 saves for the Lakers while Baker blocked 38 shots.
The Lakers may be done on the ice, but still will be active off of it as the team is holding a fish fry on Good Friday (April 2) at the Couchiching Recreation Centre at 5 p.m.
Tickets cost $10 for adults and $6 for kids six and under.
