Staff
Brett Pickler’s getting a penchant for scoring big goals–and the Fort Frances Lakers are loving it.
Pickler doubled his season goal output by scoring a natural hat trick in the third period, including the tying and winning goals, as the Lakers battled back for a 5-3 victory over the English River Miners on Saturday as part of “Scotiabank Hockey Day in Canada” festivities in Kenora.
The 18-year-old forward from Villa Park, Calif. then delivered the winner at 4:04 of overtime in yesterday’s 3-2 triumph over the visiting Thunder Bay North Stars.
“The last four games, we’ve tried to work Brett into different situations and get him a little more ice time,” noted Lakers’ head coach and general manager Wayne Strachan.
“We think he’s earned it with his hard work.”
The Lakers (21-20-2-4), who trail the fourth-place Miners (24-20-1-3) by four points, were even with English River at 2-2 after the first before a sold-out crowd of 2,050 at the Kenora Recreation Centre.
Brandon Zajicek, whose goal was featured on Sportsnet’s “Coach’s Corner” with Don Cherry and Ron McLean that evening, and Jared Virtanen tallied for the Lakers while Kaden Hintz and Zac Schlitt replied for English River.
Jamie Driedger had the lone goal of the second to put the Miners in front.
But Pickler tied it at 10:23 of the third, then put the Lakers in front with 1:43 to play before adding an empty-netter with 18 seconds left.
Brandon Bodnar made 25 stops for the win while Michael Lenko had 34 saves in a losing cause.
Then yesterday against the second-place North Stars (27-14-5-0), the Lakers opened the scoring on Dylan Kooner’s goal at 5:35, only to have Tyler Minoletti tie it at 15:01.
A scoreless second period led to Jake Robinson giving the North Stars their first lead at 8:36 of the third.
But Zajicek’s scintillating rush down the left-wing ended with him passing over to Julian Uhryniuk, who converted the feed at 14:43 to square the contest.
Uhryniuk then drew a holding penalty against Robinson in the overtime session, setting up a 4-on-3 power play for the Lakers.
Virtanen’s shot deflected into the air and Pickler managed to bat the puck off a North Stars’ defenceman, then off goalie Jordan Elliott and into the net.
Jessie Heisz made 32 saves to earn the win while Elliott stopped 46 as the hard-luck loser.
The two teams will finish the home-and-home series tonight in Thunder Bay–the first of four in a row on the road for the Lakers.
Their next home game is slated for Saturday, March 4 against the Dryden GM Ice Dogs.
