The Schreiber Diesels grabbed a 1-0 lead in their best-of-five quarter-final series against the visiting Fort Frances Jr. Sabres with a 2-1 victory last night.
Playing at the Schreiber Arena, the two teams battled to a scoreless first period thanks to outstanding goaltending efforts from both the Sabres’ Ryan Faragher and the Diesels’ Matt Kernick.
The Sabres, who finished the regular season in fifth place, jumped on the scoreboard first when Kyle Turgeon beat Kernick to take a 1-0 lead on a short-handed stunner early in the second period.
But the fourth-place Diesels, the defending SIJHL champs, answered back midway through the period when Jared Saunders converted on a feed from Kevin Clark to even the score.
Then Colin Wise put the Diesels up for good in the third period—beating Faragher for the eventual game-winner.
The Diesels poured on the offence over all three periods, outshooting the Sabres by a 36-19 margin.
Game 2 of the series goes tonight in Schreiber, with Game 3 set for Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at the Ice for Kids Arena here.
Game 4 (if necessary) is slated for Monday (March 17) at 7:30 p.m. at the Ice for Kids Arena.
Should the series go the distance, the fifth-and-deciding game will be played Wednesday (March 19) back in Schreiber.
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
