Thunder battle to tie with Ice Dogs

Ejections, suspensions, and rink renovations.
Just another quiet two-game set between the Borderland Thunder and the Dryden Ice Dogs.
The defending SIJHL champion Thunder (6-5-1) battled tooth and nail with the league-leading Ice Dogs (10-3-2-1), but came away with only one out of a possible four points after a 4-4 tie here last night on the heels of a 2-1 loss in Dryden last Wednesday night.
Each team held the lead twice last night, with the Thunder’s Kevin Webb squaring matters for the final time with his second of the night—and 11th of the season—at 7:23 of the third.
Eric Schulz (his third) and Aaron Boyer (his fifth) also tallied for the Thunder.
Mike MacIntyre had a pair for the Ice Dogs, with singles from SIJHL goal and points leader Joel Poshtar (his 18th) and Konrad Bruetsch.
Liam Johnston made 36 saves in the Dryden net to preserve the tie while Dan Hoehne answered with 29 stops of his own for the Thunder.
The game was delayed 15 minutes at 11:53 of the third period after Dryden’s Tyler Desjarlais, who had two assists in the game, picked up a game misconduct for his third stick infraction of the contest.
The emotional Ice Dogs forward proceeded to smash his stick on the ice and along the boards, then pitchforked the shaft into the hinge of the door exiting to the visiting team’s dressing room.
The door was damaged badly enough that officials stopped the game until the proper repairs could be made.
Desjarlais had been the hero last Wednesday, notching the game-winner and adding an assist on Poshtar’s goal in Dryden’s victory. Boyer had the only goal for the Thunder in that one.
Thunder head coach Dave Allison missed last night’s game as he served the first of a two-game suspension for a post-game incident following last Wednesday’s game against Dryden.
Assistant coach Greg Madill took the reins for the evening, helped out by Thunder general manager Brent Tookenay.
Allison also is scheduled to miss this Friday’s game in Thunder Bay against the KC Bulldogs, but will return for the Saturday re-match there.
The Thunder’s next home game is slated Tuesday, Nov. 18 at 7:30 p.m. when the Ice Dogs return to the Ice for Kids Arena for the fourth time in two months.