DRYDEN, Ont. – A Wilson Dumais second period goal stood up to be the game-winner as the OCN Blizzard edged the hometown Dryden Ice Dogs 3-2 Friday in Canadian Junior Hockey League preseason play at Memorial Arena.
The visitors, who compete out of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League, opened the scoring midway through the first period as Darien Cardinal beat Dryden starter Eric Szymczyk.
Chris Belhumeur pulled the Ice Dogs level before the stanza was complete to send the two sides to the dressing rooms knotted at one goal apiece.
Markers by Tyler Grove and Dumais a minute and 42 seconds apart in the latter stages of the second session made it 3-1 OCN.
Another by Belhumeur late in the frame made it 3-2, but that’s how the game would end with Szymczyk and Justin MacDonald in the Blizzard net shutting the door the rest of the way.
Shots on goal favoured OCN by a 36-26 margin.
SIJHL exhibition action resumes Saturday on two fronts as Dryden hosts Sioux Lookout back at Memorial Arena while the Fort Frances Lakers entertain the Minnesota Wilderness at Ice for Kids Arena. Both contests get underway at 7:30 p.m.
SIJHL preseason schedule
Sept. 7: Dryden 4 Fort Frances 1
Sept. 8: Dryden 3 Fort Frances 2 (Shootout)
Sept. 13: OCN Blizzard (MJHL) 7 Sioux Lookout 2
Sept. 14: OCN Blizzard (MJHL) 3 Dryden 2
Sept. 15: Sioux Lookout @ Dryden 7:30 p.m. (Memorial); Minnesota Wilderness @ Fort Frances 7:30 p.m. (Ice for Kids)
Sept. 16: Fort Frances @ Minnesota Wilderness 4 p.m. (Northwoods-Cloquet)