Lucas Punkari
In what has become par for the course so far this SIJHL season, the Fort Frances Lakers staged back-to-back comeback wins over the weekend to improve to 6-2-0-0 on the young campaign.
Following a 3-2 overtime victory over the Thunder Bay North Stars here Friday and a 6-5 triumph against the host Sioux Lookout Flyers on Saturday night, the Lakers sit in sole possession of second place in the standings with 12 points—two back of the defending champion Wisconsin Wilderness.
The Lakers found themselves trailing 2-0 to the visiting North Stars as the clock wound down to less than 10 minutes left in regulation time, with the home side unable to beat goalie Mikkel Bilodeau.
Soon after, though, momentum turned in the Lakers’ favour as Jordan Larson solved Bilodeau on a scramble in front at the 11:59 mark of the third period.
Then with just 14.2 seconds on the clock, and an extra attacker on the ice, Connor Hady fired a blast from the point that hit the twine to tie the game at 2-2 and force overtime.
After both teams traded scoring chances in the first minute of overtime, the Lakers completed the comeback as Larson raced down the ice and made a cross-ice feed to a waiting Adam Wensley in front of the North Stars’ net, who tucked the puck past Bilodeau for the game-winner.
Larson led the Lakers with a goal and two assists while Wensley had a goal and an assist in earning the game’s second star.
Quinn Rempel had a goal and an assist for the North Stars, with Travis Tilley netting the other goal.
On Saturday night in Sioux Lookout, the Lakers got off to another slow start and themselves down 3-1 to the Flyers, which led to Lakers’ starting goalie Tanner Hamilton being pulled in favour of Tyler Ampe after 20 minutes of play.
Even though the Lakers outshot the Flyers 21-8 in the second period, they still trailed 4-2 midway through third until Larson and Mike Riffel scored to knot the score.
Alex Beaulne put Sioux Lookout back in front a few minutes later. But nearly two minutes after that, the Lakers got a power-play goal from Jaret Leclair to tie the game at 5-5.
Then with just over a minute to go, the Lakers pulled out in front for good as Wensley notched the game-winner for the second-straight night—giving the squad their third-straight victory.
Byron Katapaytuk (three assists) and Jon Carlson (a goal and two helpers) paced the Lakers offensively.
Hady also found the back of the net, scoring a power-play marker midway through the second.
As for the Flyers, they were led by Bryan Broders, who had a goal and an assist in the loss, with goals also coming from Tim McFatridge and Matt Grove.
The Lakers will look to continue their winning ways here tonight when they take on the expansion Iron Range Ironheads at 7:30 p.m. at the Ice For Kids Arena.
In related news, the Lakers gained a honourable mention in the latest CJHL top 20 rankings yesterday.
Ampe, meanwhile, garnered the Pizza Hut player-of-the-week honours in the SIJHL after earning both weekend wins.
