Staff
The Wisconsin Wilderness put up another tough fight on home ice but the Fort Frances Lakers were the ones landing the haymakers down the stretch.
The Lakers broke open a 4-4 tie in the second period by scoring five of the last six goals to outlast Wisconsin 9-5 in SIJHL action Tuesday night in Spooner.
The Wilderness (1-21) were far more competitive than four nights earlier here, when the Lakers (19-1-0-2) cruised to a 6-1 victory in the first of three-straight games between the two squads.
Wisconsin led 3-1 after Nick Minerva’s power-play goal at 16:34 of the first before Fort Frances scored three in a row to go back up 4-3 in the second.
Minerva tied it at 5:48 of the middle frame, but the Lakers took over from there.
Lucas DeBenedet tallied his second of the night—and league-best 20th—at 13:08, then set up Mason Meyer at 19:10.
DeBenedet, who also leads the league in points (40), completed a four-point night by setting up Lyndon Lipinski’s second of the night at 6:10 of the third.
Zach Kraft responded at 10:11 to make it 7-5, but Kevin Kurm (at 12:42) and Meyer (at 16:20) each netted their second goals of the game to short-circuit any comeback plans from Wisconsin, who have now lost 20-straight games.
Meyer and Lipinski led the way with five points apiece while Bryce Lipinski had the other Laker goal.
Jordan Cartney wasn’t at his best but still got the win with 22 saves.
Missing the game due to injury were forwards Miles Nolan, who will return to action this weekend from an upper-body injury; Donovan Cousineau, listed as week-to-week with a knee injury, but scheduled for an MRI next week; and Colton Spicer, who sustained an upper-body injury during last Friday’s game and for whom there is no timetable for his return.
Defenceman Brandon Sinclair, who has not played since Nov. 9 against the Dryden Ice Dogs, also did not play and is out indefinitely while awaiting an MRI to review his injury.
The squads will wrap up their three-game mini-series tomorrow with a 7:30 p.m. back here.
The Lakers then will host Dryden Ice Dogs on Saturday night.
