Staff
The Fort Frances Lakers took it on their collective chins twice over the weekend–virtually ensuring the squad will open the SIJHL playoffs on the road as the fifth seed.
First, the last-place Minnesota Iron Rangers (7-44-2) snapped a 22-game losing streak by doubling the Lakers 4-2 down in Hoyt Lakes on Friday night.
Rangers’ goalie Sean Angle was the story in this one–stopping 39 shots, including all 20 he faced in a third period dominated by the Lakers (23-23-2-4).
Korey Muzzy has three points for Minnesota, including a power-play goal and an empty-netter with 34 seconds left.
Eli Kinsman and Jack Stensgard had the other goals.
Matt Tustin had a goal and also assisted on Maverick Lynes’ second-period power-play goal that cut the Iron Rangers’ lead to 3-2.
Jessie Heisz made 29 saves in a losing cause.
On Saturday afternoon, the Lakers gathered at La Place Rendez-Vous for their annual awards banquet–and spent part of it talking about how many goals they were going to score that night.
It turns out Dylan Kooner was the only one who told the truth as his second-period tally was the lone highlight in a 6-1 loss to the first-place Dryden GM Ice Dogs (41-7-4) at the Ice For Kids Arena.
The Ice Dogs won their eighth-straight game by jumping out to an early lead on first-period markers by Kristopher Hamlin and Garrett Graham.
With the game still up for grabs entering the third, Dryden got goals from Sam Marit (two), Hamlin, and Cory Dennis (power play) to seal the victory.
Patrick Zubick had 30 saves for the win while Heisz stopped 37 shots in defeat.
The Lakers played without the injured quartet of forwards Jared Virtanen and Dawson Waddell, along with defencemen Mark Richter and Matt Cheetham.
Fort Frances trails the fourth-place Thief River Falls Norskies (27-19-2-3) by seven points and only have four games left.
The Norskies also hold a game in hand.
That means one more Thief River Falls win or Fort Frances loss will guarantee a fifth-place finish for the Lakers, who then would start the best-of-five “Survivor Series” playoff matchup between the fourth- and fifth-place teams away from home.
The Lakers next head east for a two-game series this Friday and Saturday against the second-place Thunder Bay North Stars (29-16-6).
Then they’ll host those same North Stars on March 14.
