SIJHL Action Continues at Showcase 2016

HOYT LAKES, Minn. –  A Dustin Deugau blast from the high slot with 9:11 remaining in regulation was the difference as the Fort Frances Lakers skated to a 4-3 victory over the English River Miners Thursday afternoon in Day 3 play at the Superior International Junior Hockey League Showcase at Hoyt Lakes Arena.

Fort Frances opened the scoring 4:18 into the contest as Cole Tymkin had a couple of whacks in front before stuffing in a rebound past English River start Reid Kilburn.

The Miners drew level right off a face-off deep in Lakers territory as Braeden Pierce snapped home his first SIJHL goal right off the draw beating Brandon Bodnar in the Fort Frances net.

English River came right back added another to go up 2-1 after one with Sam Cirone collecting his initial tally in a Miners uniform just 50 seconds later on a backhand from in close.

The Lakers tied things up early in the middle session as Jason Wilson took a Davis Ross feed and fired in his third marker.

A Miners power play allowed them to go back on top later in the period as rookie forward Nash Dabb darted hard around a Fort Frances defender and whipped in his 11th of the campaign.

The Lakers came back to tie the contest of the middle session at 17:40 as A.J. Rupert levelled the proceedings for a third time.

Fort Frances retook the lead in the second half of the third as Deugau pinched in from his left point position and proceeded to hammer a pass out from behind the net past Kilburn.

Dylan Robertson dished out three assists for the Lakers in the triumph.

Shots on goal in the contest favoured Fort Frances by a 45-28 margin with Bodnar picking up the win and Kilburn turning in another solid performance for English River with 41 stops in defeat.

Gongshow Gear player of the game awards went to Deugau and Kilburn.

The SIJHL Showcase will conclude Thursday evening at 7 p.m. CT as the Minnesota Iron Rangers host the Dryden GM Ice Dogs back at Hoyt Lakes Arena.

The Showcase contests between SIJHL clubs count towards the league standings

Every SIJHL game is available online, on a pay-per-view basis, at FASTHockey.com.

SIJHL Showcase
All start times CT
Tuesday, Jan. 26
Fort Frances 3 Thunder Bay 2 (Shootout)
Cochrane (NOJHL) 2 Minnesota 1 (OT)
Wednesday, Jan. 27
Cochrane (NOJHL) 2 Fort Frances 0
Dryden 3 Thunder Bay 2
English River 4 Minnesota 3 (Shootout)
Thursday, Jan. 28
Fort Frances  4 English River 3
Minnesota vs. Dryden 7 p.m. (Hoyt Lakes)