Thunder one game away from title

If the Thunder Bay KC Bulldogs want the SIJHL championship trophy, they’re going to have to tear it out of Kurt Hogard’s hands.
The Borderland Thunder defenceman scored twice, including the game-winner with just 1:35 left in regulation time Sunday night, to lift his team to a 5-4 victory over the Bulldogs in Game 4 of the best-of-seven SIJHL final.
The win gave the Thunder a 3-1 series lead—and they can close out their first SIJHL title Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. at the Ice for Kids Arena here.
If necessary, Game 6 will go Thursday night in Thunder Bay, with Game 7, again if necessary, scheduled back here Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
Hogard—who now tops all Thunder players with 10 playoff points—scored at 18:22 of the second to cap a three-goal surge by the visitors which gave them a 4-2 lead.
Then, after Lloyd Stansell’s power-play goal at 2:17 of the third pulled the Bulldogs within one, Hogard scored his fourth of the playoffs on a pass from Drew Fisher at 18:25.
That breathing room proved crucial as Stansell struck once more with 16 seconds to play before the Bulldogs’ rally ran out of time.
Ryan Sinclair, Josh Baxter, and Aaron Grynol also tallied for the Thunder, who outshot the Bulldogs 46-32, while goalie Dan Hoehne improved his playoff record to 7-1.
Rylan Vesa and Kris King added the other goals for Thunder Bay.
A first-period breakout was the difference in the Bulldogs’ 6-4 win in Game 3 there Saturday night.
Trevor Karasiewicz, who leads all playoff scorers with 18 points, and Stansell had power-play markers while Jordan Gehl also scored in the opening stanza for a 3-0 lead.
Vesa’s goal at 6:12 of the second made it 4-0, before Baxter collected his first of the playoffs at 17:15 to put the Thunder on the board.
But Karasiewicz—who had three points in the game—fired his eighth of the post-season 48 seconds later to turn the tide back in the Bulldogs’ favour.
A.J. Tucker, Matt Johnson, and Grynol scored in a five-minute span midway through the third, but King put the game away at 17:38.