Thunder dump Ice Dogs to finish regular season

Both teams wanted to set the tone for when the big dance starts, but the Dryden Ice Dogs were slightly off key.
“Critter” Nagurski scored twice and added an assist as the Borderland Thunder connected for three power-play goals in a 5-2 win over the visiting Ice Dogs last night in the SIJHL regular-season finale for both squads, who will face off again here this weekend in what should be a fiercely-contested best-of-seven semi-final.
While the teams have built a significant feud over the course of the past few weeks, the feel of last night’s affair was far more low-key. Much of that had to do with the fact Dryden only brought 12 skaters for the game while resting a number of regulars in preparation for Friday’s playoff curtain-raiser.
Nagurski opened the scoring on the power play at 5:54 of the first.
The Ice Dogs evened the game 1:14 into the second on Tyler MacDonald’s marker, but Rob Scales and Ian Lockman scored less than five minutes apart later in the period to make it 3-1 for the Thunder.
Kendal Enns brought Dryden closer with a goal at 2:59 of the third, but Borderland pulled away by cashing in on both halves of a two-man advantage midway through the period.
Kyle Prystupa lit the lamp at 9:35, while Nagurski notched his second of the night 26 seconds later to cap the scoring.
The defending SIJHL champion Ice Dogs (28-20-2-2) may come into the series as the underdogs with their fourth-place showing this season. But the first-place Thunder (33-12-5-2) won’t soon forget the four-game sweep they endured at the hands of Dryden in last year’s SIJHL final.
Borderland dominated the season series with a 8-2-0-1 mark, excluding a 3-0 victory Oct. 30 in Dryden that later was forfeited due to the fact goalie Dan Hoehne, making his Thunder debut, had not had his transfer to the SIJHL officially authorized before the game by league officials.
Meanwhile, seeds of animosity for a potential championship clash were planted here over the weekend as the Thunder traded 6-3 victories with the Fort William First Nation Wolves (23-18-5-5).
Three special teams goals (two power play and one shorthanded) fuelled the Wolves’ offence in their victory Friday night—the first of two very bitter battles between the squads.
Spencer Bodnar, second in the SIJHL in scoring with 83 points, had a pair of goals and an assist to pace the Wolves while Trevor Abraham, Colton Steinhoff, Wes Thom, and Mike Greaves (empty net) rounded out their scoring.
Josh Baxter, Chris Shaen, and Drew Fisher replied for the Thunder against goalie Jean-Frederick Beaudoin, who made 22 saves.
Thunder regulars Matt Johnson, Clayton Windigo, and Matt Alexander sat out that game to gain extra rest for the upcoming playoffs, while captain Josh Baxter was scratched for the same reason both Saturday and last night.
On Saturday night, the Thunder stumbled out of the gate to trail 2-0 on goals by Steve Atkins and Nathan Breukelman. But three goals in both the second and third periods brought Borderland storming back to salvage the series split.
Aaron Grynol and Nagurski each scored twice in that one, with Kevin Webb and Scales adding singles. Breukelman added his second of the game in the middle stanza to close out the Wolves’ offence.
Hoehne made 20 saves in the victory for his league-leading 17th win. Third-stringer Daniel Beardy took the loss after giving up five goals in 25 shots after replacing Kelly Hekkila at 10:52 of the second period and Fort William leading 2-1.
Games one and two of the semi-final series with Dryden go this Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
The series then moves to Dryden for games three and four March 21-22.
The dates and times for the remaining games of the series, if necessary, have yet to be determined by league officials.
Playoff tickets for the Thunder’s home games can be purchased at Skates and Blades here as well as the C.C. Complex at Couchiching.
The other SIJHL semi-final pits the second-place Thunder Bay KC Bulldogs (30-15-3-3) against the third-place Wolves.