Thunder dazzled by Stars

The defending SIJHL champs have a giant target on their back, and the Fort William First Nation North Stars took dead aim last weekend with pinpoint results.
The North Stars (8-3-1) did all their damage in the final 40 minutes both nights as they beat the visiting Borderland Thunder 5-1 win on Friday and then 4-2 on Saturday.
Kurt Hogard scored 22 seconds into Friday’s contest, but that was the last shot North Stars goalie Jean-Frederick Beaudoin allowed behind him. He made 20 saves the rest of the way while his team found their offence in the second period.
Nathan Bruekelman and Brent Greene (short-handed) tallied in the second against Thunder goalie Dan Hoehne, who made 31 stops in a losing effort.
Then Fort William’s scoring leader, Spencer Bodnar, who assisted on Bruekelman’s marker, scored twice in 1:17 early in the third to put the game out of reach.
Bruekelman’s second of the night putt a wrap on Borderland’s first loss in six games.
Bodnar was a recurring nightmare for the Thunder (6-4-0) all weekend as he opened the scoring Saturday against Jared Baldwin on a second-period power-play nine seconds after Aaron Boyer was whistled for slashing.
Ryan Baird and Travis Lasarge (with the eventual game-winner) made it 3-0 before the end of the period when the Thunder launched a comeback against Fort William goalie Andrew Beardy.
Gaining inspiration from a game misconduct bench penalty issued to the Thunder following Clayton Windigo being called for slashing, Borderland got a short-handed goal from Kevin Webb and then a power-play marker from Andrew Dault with 1:33 left in regulation time.
But Beardy clamped down from there as he made 27 saves to pick up the win.
Mike Greaves’ empty-net goal with nine seconds to go slammed the door shut on the Thunder, who dropped to 2-2 on the road.
Borderland now heads to Dryden to face the first-place Ice Dogs (8-4-2) on Wednesday night for the teams’ second meeting in eight days.
The Thunder’s next home action is Nov. 4 against those same Ice Dogs.