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Fighting Walleye down North Stars in SIJHL debut

Expansion Kam River scores three times on the power play and downed Thunder Bay 6-2 to pick up a valuable two points in the franchise's debut outing.

OLIVER PAIPOONGE – Talon Thomas knows how to make a debut.

The Kam River Fighting Walleye forward scored twice on Friday night, including the first regular-season goal in franchise history, powering the expansion club to a surprising 6-2 win over the two-time defending Superior International Junior Hockey League champion Thunder Bay North Stars.

Teammate Trenton Morriseau, plucked from the OCN Blizzard where he started the 2020-21 campaign, did Thomas one better, completing an opening-game hat trick with an empty netter in the final minute of play.

It was a total team performance said Thomas, a 20-year-old veteran being counted on to provide both offence and leadership to a young Fighting Walleye squad.

Notching the team's first official goal was just icing on the cake.

“It hit me in the heart, that's for sure,” said Thomas, who evened the score with his first of the night, the historic goal coming on the power play at 8:09 of the first.

“It felt special, it felt cool, but it was just another shot on goal, just another goal.”

Getting that first win was by far the bigger accomplishment, said Thomas, who scored 16 goals in 51 games split between five teams last season.

“I don't have much words because it's a first for everything,” he said. “I enjoyed it, for sure, I think my teammates enjoyed it, just trying to come in and help the younger guys a lot and have some fun this season and hopefully do something with this young squad.”

For Morriseau, it was simply a continuation of a solid pre-season. The Thunder Bay Kings graduate scored four times in four exhibition games, even though Kam River came out on the losing end each night, all at the hands of their natural rival.

“I just wanted to contribute to the team's success and it was a great effort by everyone,” Morriseau said.

“It's great to get the first win under our belt and we can only get better from here.”

The start looked like business as usual for the North Stars.

Star forward Nikolas Campbell only needed 27 seconds to put the visitors on top, beating Austin Madge with a quick shot for a 1-0 advantage.

Tied 1-1 after one, the Fighting Walleye dominated the second on the score sheet, despite being outshot 13-6.

Morriseau grabbed a loose puck in front of North Stars goaltender Jacob Stone and jammed it home on the power play to give the home side its first lead of the night four-and-a-half minutes into the second. Two minutes later Ethan Lang doubled the lead and Kam River led 3-1 after two.

It only took Campbell nine seconds this time around to get the North Stars back on the board, closing the gap to one early in the third.

Thunder Bay had a glorious chance to even things up, but couldn't capitalize on a 1:52 two-man advantage, which appeared to take the wind out of their sails.

The Fighting Walleye, on the other hand, made no mistake when they were handed a lengthy 5-on-3 late in the period and ahead by two goals at that point. Morriseau ripped a shot that redirected off Thomas Young's stick and past Stone, putting the game all but out reach with 4:36 to play.

“That was a big confidence booster there, killing off the 5-on-3, it rarely happens,” Thomas said. “Good on our young guys for getting that done.”

Coach Matt Valley called it a big, gutsy kill.

“Those are the ones where you've got to dig deep and trust your horses, trust the guys who have been there, done that and put their body on the line and sacrifice for the team. And it worked out,” Valley said.

FIRST PERIOD
Scoring
: 1. Thunder Bay, Campbell 1 (Anttonen, Sangha) 0:27. 2. Kam River, Thomas 1 (Mercredi) 8:09 pp. Penalties: Halushak TB (cross checking) 7:10, Lamppi TB (body checking) 11:12, Sangha TB (hooking) 14:40, Smith KR, Anttonen TB (roughing, unsportsmanlike conduct) 17:38, Enegren KR (hooking) 19:27.

SECOND PERIOD
Scoring
: 3. Kam River, Morriseau 1 (Thomas, Enegren) 4:31 pp. 4. Kam River, Lang 1 (McCollum, Veneruzzo) 6:28. Penalties: Tivers TB (interference) 1:20, Hall TB (body contact) 4:02, Lampi TB (tripping, unsportsmanlike conduct ) 7:38, Pitawanakwat KR (cross checking) 18:07, Sangha TB (slashing), Veneruzzo KR (unsportsmanlike conduct) 20:00.

THIRD PERIOD
Scoring
: 5. Thunder Bay, Campbell 2 (Stubbs) 0:09. 6. Thunder Bay, Thomas 2 (Resch, Gorst) 10:59. 7. Kam River, Morriseau 2 (McCready,. Fortier) 15:24 pp. 8. Kam River, Morriseau 3 19: 33 en. Penalties: Resch KR (slashing) 7:19. Tyska KR (slashing) 7:27, R. Cardinal TB (slashing) 13:39, A. Cardinal TB (slashing) 14:17, Pitawanakwat KR (holding) 16:48.

GAME DATASOG – Thunder Bay 7-13-17-37, Kam River 12-6-5-23; Power plays (goals-chances) – Thunder Bay (0-5), Kam River (3-9); Goaltenders – Thunder Bay: Jacob Stone, Kam River: Austin Madge; A: 50.



Leith Dunick

About the Author: Leith Dunick

A proud Nova Scotian who has called Thunder Bay home since 2002, Leith is Dougall Media's director of news, but still likes to tell your stories too. Wants his Expos back and to see Neil Young at least one more time. Twitter: @LeithDunick
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