FORT FRANCES, Ont. – The Thunder Bay North Stars got a pair of goals, including the game-winner, from Brad Arabia to help them defeat the Fort Frances Lakers 4-1 Friday evening in a Superior International Junior Hockey League encounter at Ice for Kids Arena.
Fort Frances got off to the start they wanted ws Lakers’ captain Dylan Kooner beat North Stars netminder Nathaniel Dupuis 75 seconds into the contest.
Thunder Bay managed to knot the affair at 1-1 with a marker late in the first when Brad Thrower collected his third of the season at 18:41.
The North Stars power play allowed them to take the lead at 13:14 of the middle stanza as Arabia notched the eventual difference maker during a man advantage opportunity beating Fort Frances starter Billy Gorn.
Fort Frances would later have to replace Gorn due to injury in the final minute of the second in favour of Brandon Bodnar.
Up a man again midway through the third, the SIJHL’s leading point producer in Thunder Bay’s Nicholas Nigro notched his 10th goal of the season and 17th point to make it 3-1.
Arabia then iced it with an insurance marker with six minutes to go to round out the scoring.
With a goal and an assist on the night Nigro extended a consecutive game point streak to 11, which dates back to the end of last season.
Dupuis made 19 stops to record the win for the North Stars.
Gorn suffered the loss in nearly 40 minutes of work before departing saving 23 of 25 along the way while Bodnar allowed two against on 10 attempts in relief.
Looking ahead, Thunder Bay travels to Hoyt Lakes Saturday to take on the Minnesota Iron Rangers at 7 p.m. and the Lakers remain at home to host the English River Miners at 7:30 p.m.
