Staff
Not even their goalie could save the Fort Frances Lakers this time.
Brad Arabia and Brad Thrower each had a goal and an assist to lead the host Thunder Bay North Stars to a 4-2 win over the Lakers last night.
The Lakers (25-4-01), who were outshot 47-31, also saw their eight-game winning streak snapped.
Pierce Dushenko was terrific again with 43 saves one game after making 49 in Sunday’s 4-3 road win over the Dryden GM Ice Dogs, but still lost for just the third time in 21 appearances this season.
The North Stars (14-16-0-2), meanwhile, now have won three-straight games and have been responsible for four of the Lakers’ five defeats this season.
Thrower opened the scoring at 1:53 of the first, then helped set up Avery Siau for a power-play marker at 11:46.
A scoreless second period featured North Stars’ goalie Riley Corbin stoning SIJHL scoring co-leader Dylan Robertson on a penalty shot.
But two Thunder Bay penalties in the final four seconds of the period, and another 21 seconds into the third, opened the door for the Lakers to get back in the game.
With an extended two-man advantage to work with, they cashed in when Andrew Willner netted his 12th of the season to cut the deficit to 2-1.
Nick Minerva drew an assist to extend what’s now a nine-game points streak and move him into a tie with Robertson atop the SIJHL scoring race.
Arabia tallied at 6:41 to put the home team back up by two.
Kris Hamlin then scored a power-play goal with 2:11 left to make it 4-1.
Roshen Jaswal, the reigning Amyotte’s Promotions & Awards player-of-the-week, capped the scoring with a power-play goal with 15 seconds to go for his sixth of the campaign.
The Lakers played without defenceman Robbie Bonthron (broken jaw) and forward Dylan Kooner (upper-body injury), who both remain out indefinitely.
The two squads will clash again here tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. at the Ice For Kids Arena.
