Team West loses all-star game

For an all-star shootout, it seemed like both teams left their big guns at home.
Former Borderland Thunder goalie Kyle Rogers, now with the Thunder Bay Downtown Volkswagen Bulldogs, made 11 saves in the second period as Team East beat Team West 5-3 last night in the second-annual SIJHL all-star game at the Fort William Gardens in Thunder Bay.
Both team fired 49 shots in the game, but it was the goalies who shone brightest in an unusually low-scoring contest involving the league’s best scorers and play-makers.
Forward Kevin Webb and goalie Dan Hoehne, who were voted to the starting lineup by fans, made the most significant contributions of the seven Thunder players who participated in the game.
Webb scored off a rebound chance in the first period to give Team West its only lead of the game at 2-1, while Hoehne only allowed Travis Grant’s goal at 14:36 of the period in his 20 minutes of work.
Dan Van Gronigan and Shawn Meinke of the Northwest Wisconsin Knights had the other goals for Team West. Team East got its other goals from Alex Barber, Ryan Hladyniuk, and Geoff Moggy of the Bulldogs, along with Spencer Bodnar of the Fort William First Nation Wolves.
Starting line-up selections Matt Johnson, Kyle Prystupa, and Chris Shaen, along with roster additions Jay Phillips and captain Josh Baxter, were the other Thunder players who saw action in the game.
Thunder head coach Dave Allison was behind the Team West bench last night after saying Tuesday he might not take part in the game stemming from his four-game suspension by the SIJHL for verbally abusing a referee here last Saturday night.
SIJHL president Jerry Blazino said no discussion of the suspension came up during the league meeting yesterday afternoon, but that Allison discussed the situation privately with league commissioner Harvey Fedell afterwards.
Blazino wouldn’t comment on the possibility the suspension may be lessened or lifted, though.
Allison and Fedell both were unavailable for comment by press time today.