Staff
The Fort Frances Lakers finally had the break-out game they were waiting for.
But it was their momentum that was broken the following night.
The Lakers won their first home game of the SIJHL regular season Friday night with an 8-1 romp over the Minnesota Iron Rangers 8-1 at the Ice For Kids Arena.
The Iron Rangers promptly shrugged off the loss by rallying for a 3-2 overtime victory Saturday night in the back half of the home-and-home series.
Fort Frances (2-6-1-1) appeared to have the sweep in hand for its first winning streak of the season.
But Logan Froberg notched his second goal of the game with just 33 seconds left in regulation time for Minnesota (2-6), then he set up Dalton Johnson for the short-handed game-winner only 21 ticks into the extra frame.
Brandon Zajicek and Jun Yi (Frank) Zhong each had power-play goals for the Lakers.
Sean Angle made 35 saves for the win while Lakers’ goalie Ryan Wagner, who started both games, had 40 stops in defeat.
Friday’s game was “The Dylan Kooner Show” as the veteran forward led the Lakers’ attack with four goals.
The Lakers fired 55 shots on the Iron Rangers’ goal—doing all their scoring in the final 40 minutes after a scoreless first period.
Julian Uhryniuk, Olive Alcock, Jack Bernie, and Tyler Malpass had a goal apiece.
Jared Virtanen garnered four assists to sit tied for the SIJHL lead with 11 with Braedyn Aubin (Dryden GM Ice Dogs) and Joe Newhouse (Thunder Bay North Stars).
Wagner had 30 saves in the victory, with only Froberg beating him.
The Lakers next head to Thunder Bay on Friday night to face the North Stars.
Then they’ll return home Saturday at 7:30 p.m. for their first meeting of the season with the Ice Dogs.
