Dan Falloon
The Fort Frances Thunderhawks just couldn’t get comfortable in Thunder Bay over the weekend, falling to the host Thunder Bay Twins 6-0 on Saturday and then 4-1 on Sunday.
Coach Randy White said his team, which was playing without Rustyn Dolyny, Jamie Davis, and Kevin Webb, was further disadvantaged Saturday as they quickly found themselves down 2-0.
White stressed he wasn’t interested in making excuses, though he did note the Thunderhawks were battling more than just the Twins in that first game.
“We got there just before the game,” he noted. “Just enough time to get a bite.
“We kind of had ‘bus legs’ for the first period.”
Despite that, White said Fort Frances was just a post and a yawning cage conversion away from 2-2 tie after the first.
Instead, the Thunderhawks found themselves down by a pair.
Over the course of the next two periods, the Twins would blitz goalie Mike Bannon for four more goals to seal the 6-0 shutout.
White credited Bannon with keeping Fort Frances within striking distance, especially in the opening 20 minutes.
“We were kind of barraged in the first period,” he remarked.
Then on Sunday night, the Thunderhawks were able to keep the game closer for longer as they found themselves down only 3-1 after the second on a goal by Roger Morrison.
White again shone the light on a goalie, Chris Medicine this time, as a standout in the loss.
He thought the area where Fort Frances most needs to improve is in defensive coverage, but he also noticed his team was tightening up in that department as the weekend series progressed.
“They [the Twins] play a man high, and that’s been our Achilles’ heel all year,” White admitted.
“We have to be aware at all times who’s out there,” he stressed.
In general, White was pleased with the attack despite tallying just the single goal over the two games—chalking up the low total to a pair of stingy Twin goalies.
“We couldn’t beat their goalies all weekend,” he said. “But we made them look pretty good by shooting it right at them.”
Despite the losses, the coach stressed the weekend was a positive one for the Thunderhawks.
“Both games were very entertaining and well-reffed,” White said. “Everything went well, and there were no scraps.
“It was a good showing for both teams.”
The Thunderhawks were in Kenora last night to take on the Thistles (the outcome wasn’t known by press time). White was excited to take the ice again quickly in order to keep pushing forward in the areas the team wants to improve.
“That’ll be another good game for us to get under our belts,” he remarked. “It’ll give us the chance to really work hard on some things.”
White said he’s noticed a number of similarities between his team, the Twins, and the Thistles, which makes for entertaining hockey any time two of them should suit up for a game.
“There’s certainly a parity between us, Kenora, and Thunder Bay,” he noted. “There’s not a lot to choose between us.”
