Mitch Calvert
Home ice will need to be an advantage for the Fort Frances Jr. Sabres as they return to the Ice for Kids Arena this coming weekend down 2-0 in their best-of-seven semi-final series with the Thunder Bay Bearcats.
The Bearcats clipped the Sabres 2-1 last night after winning the series-opener 3-1 victory on Saturday night.
Fort Frances native Brian White opened the scoring last night with a power-play goal in the first period, then Chris Kitt netted another in the second to give the hosts a two-goal cushion after 40 minutes.
Chris Sinclair closed the gap to one with his third of the playoffs early in the final frame, but the Sabres could get no closer—only mustering 13 shots on goal for the whole game.
In Saturday night’s match-up, Kyle Tront broke the ice with a power-play goal midway through the first for the Bearcats, but Brendan Baumgartner knotted it 1-1 with a power-play marker of his own before intermission.
Tyler Miller, another Fort Frances native playing for the Bearcats, notched the eventual game-winner midway through the second.
White, his former Muskie linemate, then netted an insurance marker in the third on an assist from Miller.
All told, the Bearcats outshot the Sabres 79-30 over the two-game set.
Games 3 and 4 are scheduled for this Saturday and Sunday (March 28-29) at 7:30 p.m. at the Ice for Kids Arena.
Game 5, if necessary, would be back in Thunder Bay next Tuesday (March 31).
If the series is extended further, Game 6 would return to the Ice for Kids Arena on Thursday, April 2. A potential Game 7 would go Saturday, April 4 in Thunder Bay.
In the other semi-final series, the first-place Fort William North Stars survived a scare by escaping with a 4-3 overtime win over the Schreiber Diesels last night.
Game 2 goes tonight at 7:30 p.m. (EDT) at the Fort William Gardens.
