Thunder extend league winning streak

They were left in the dark, and didn’t know what to expect when the lights came on.
The Borderland Thunder were in Winnipeg over the Thanksgiving weekend to compete in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League’s “showcase” tournament—and had no real clue of what was in store for them.
“You walk into a room and the lights are off and you’re not sure what’s there—it’s the unknown,” noted Thunder head coach Dave Allison. “But as soon as you turn the light on, you either have something to be scared of or there’s nothing there.
“We went out there and as soon as the lights went on, we said, ‘Hey, we can play here,’” added Allison. “It wasn’t that we played extraordinary, it’s just that we played our game well.”
The Thunder, the only non-MJHL team at the tournament, represented the SIJHL well, posting a 1-1-1 mark over the three-day tournament.
The squad opened with a 5-3 win over the Waywayseecappo Wolverines on Friday, then settled for a 4-4 draw with the Dauphin Kings on Saturday. Their lone setback was a 2-1 loss to the Portage Terriers on Sunday.
“We didn’t go down there to show people we’re tough, we know that we’re tough,” said Allison. “We went down there to show that we can compete and play at a university/college level, and that’s what we did.”
Josh McAndrew was the Thunder’s “showcase” player over the weekend, netting three goals to go along with two assists. But he was quick to dish out credit to the SIJHL rather than praise the MJHL.
“It was a good test to see how you stack up with the rest of Canada, but I mean teams we played there were no better than any of the teams in our league,” said the Thunder captain.
“But it was nice to play some other teams and face off against some guys we didn’t even know,” McAndrew added. “I mean, we’re seeing the same guys night in and night out here.”
Ironically, that was the case here last night when the Thunder resumed SIJHL action against the Dryden Ice Dogs—the same team they had hosted last Tuesday night before heading to Winnipeg.
And Borderland prevailed once again, this time winning 1-0, to extend their SIJHL unbeaten streak to six games (5-0-1) and grab a share of top spot with the Fort William First Nation North Stars.
Dryden came out strong in the first two periods, outshooting their hosts by a 25-14 margin. But Tyler Gordon stonewalled the Ice Dogs, which set up Aaron Boyer’s third-period heroics on a feed from McAndrew from behind the net.
“That was five games over eight days and I thought that our kids just really battled,” said Allison, referring to the obvious fatigue seen in his players.
“You can look at a lot of different factors, but you saw our guys just battling,” he added.
“It was a big goal by Boyer, and I thought [Tyler] Gordon was there when we needed him,” Allison remarked. “It was a big game and we didn’t want to give Dryden any hope whatsoever, and it’s a big win for us.”
Gordon stopped 33 shots to earn his third win of the season, which ties him for the most in the SIJHL. He said the chemistry of the team is a key factor to the Thunder’s early success.
“We’re the kind of team that just gelled right off the get-go,” Gordon noted. “All the guys have been gelling really good in there. And right now it’s great.
“Practices are fun, coaches are awesome, town is great, and we’re doing really well,” added Gordon, who wore a construction hard hat after the game, which he wears after every Thunder win.
Although Gordon preferred to steer the spotlight away from himself and onto his teammates, Allison was all but happy to give credit to his goalie.
“The one thing that I’ve been impressed with is that he’s been willing to take information and try to figure it out, and if he sees that it works, he’s going to apply it,” Allison said.
“He’s really been set and following the puck, and if you’re a good goaltender and do those things, you’re just going to get better and better.
“Great goaltenders don’t rely on luck. They rely on fundamentals and habits,” Allison stressed. “And habits will carry you when you’re fatigued, and he’s really growing into that and playing well for us.”
At least the Thunder now will have some time to ease their tired bodies as their next game isn’t until this Saturday when they host the winless Thunder Bay Bulldogs at 5 p.m.
In the meantime, the team is taking things one game at a time.
“That’s one thing I’ve been really impressed with the guys,” said Allison. “They’ve been really focused on the moment.
“They’ve lived in the moment and they haven’t gotten too far ahead of themselves, and they’ve enjoyed playing and competing and winning,” he added.