North Stars edged on home ice

In a five-game span late last year, Alex Maticic was on fire, scoring in five straight Superior International Junior Hockey League games.
But then the well went dry.

Maticic, who hadn’t scored in a dozen contests, picked an opportune time to return to the score sheet, netting the winner late in the third period Friday night in the English River Miners’ 2-1 win over the host Thunder Bay North Stars.

It was the second-year franchise’s second straight win over the Stars in less than a week, the mini-streak coming after a six-game losing slide.

Layne Anderson opened the scoring at 4:50 of the first, a lead the Miners would hold until the 16:44 mark of the second, when Matthias Gardiman beat P.D. Melgoza with the tying tally, his first goal in eight outings. 

Eric Mann took the loss for the Stars, making 34 stops. Melgozza pushed aside 47 Thunder Bay shots.

It marked the third straight loss for Thunder Bay, who fell to 21-16-4. English River, cemented in last place in the five-team league, improved to 8-27-4.