THUNDER BAY – The Thunder Bay North Stars need a close game every once in a while.
Four weeks after their last one-goal game and coming off a pair of lopsided 14-goal games against the last-place Minnesota Iron Rangers, the North Stars on Friday night returned to the friendly confines of Fort William Gardens, welcoming their long-time rival, the fifth-place Dryden Ice Dogs to their barn for the first time this season.
The Ice Dogs (6-7-2), who ousted the Stars in last season’s Superior International Junior Hockey League final, gave Thunder Bay all they could handle on Friday night, and can thank goaltender Carson Murison for how long they hung around.
Murison stopped 54 shots fired his way by a relentless North Stars offence, but wore down late in the third as the opposition barrage continued unabated.
Defenceman Kyle Auger scored the eventual winner in the 5-2 contest, backhanding a shot from the slot into an open Ice Dogs net a minute into the third, his ninth goal of the season.
“We’ve been trying to focus on games like this, not getting out of habits,” said Auger, whose 32 points give him sole possession of third place in the SIJHL scoring parade.
“We’re really happy with our play tonight. It’s been a while since we played a tough team like this and it was tight through the first two, but our third was really good.”
North Stars coach Rob DeGagne said it’s the type of game he wants his team to play.
“It’s a good rivalry for us. The kids were ready for it. And it was good to see before the game, we’ve got some young guys who were nervous. That’s what we want out of a game,” DeGagne said. “It took them a while to get going. Their goaltender played fantastic, our goaltender played fantastic.
“There were some goalposts, some rough stuff, good plays. It’s nice to come out on top, especially at home.”
Thunder Bay struck first, thanks to a miscue by Dryden defender Arlen Schell, who made an untimely pass in front of Murison that was intercepted by a wide-open Robert Tyska.
Tyska made one move and blasted it past the Dryden net-minder for his fourth of the season, bringing the season-high crowd of 603 to its feet.
Eric Stout tied things up with seven minutes to go in the period, but the Stars retook the lead exactly a minute later, Ryan Mignault burying his 18th of the season into the Dryden net.
Tyler Browning evened the score with 1:16 left in the second, blasting a shot that fooled Thunder Bay goaltender Brock Aiken.
Dryden, the only team to beat the North Stars in regulation this season, a 6-0 win that preceded Thunder Bay’s current five-game winning streak, had their best chance to tie the game a third time early in the final stanza, forward Dylan Winsor stymied by Aiken. A minute later the visitors put the puck in the net, but the goal was immediately waved off and Cameron Coutre was sent off for goaltender interference.
The North Stars (15-1-1) had plenty of chances to up their lead in the third, but Murison met all challenges, stopping Ben Erwin with a toe save, Brendan Gillis on a rebound and Jacob Anttonen and Alexander Erwin on a rapid-fire sequence that saw four shots directed at the Ice Dogs net.
Joel Willan finally broke through, doubling the Thunder Bay lead at 17:06. Twenty-five seconds later Josh Bryant ripped a shot under the crossbar to close out the scoring.
The two teams, who combined for 64 penalty minutes in the third, meet again on Saturday night.
FIRST PERIOD
Scoring: 1. Thunder Bay, Tyska 4 (unassisted) 2:52. 2. Dryden, Stout 9 (unassisted) 13:05. 3. Thunder Bay, Mignault 18 (Turbide, Gerrie) 14:05. Penalties: Browning DRY (tripping) 8:34, Coutre DRY (cross checking) 14:30.
SECOND PERIOD
Scoring: 4. Dryden, Browning 2 (Siebenga, Palermo) 18:44. Penalties: Winsor DRY (slashing) 6:35, Wong DRY (holding) 8:09, A. Erwin TB (tripping) 9:16, Anttonen TB, Manning DRY (roughing), Schell DRY (hooking) 14:31, Auger TB (slashing) 15:32, Mignault TB (tripping) 19:01.
THIRD PERIOD
Scoring: 5. Thunder Bay, Auger 9 (Maticic, A. Erwin) 1:04. 6. Thunder Bay, Willan (Gerrie) 17:06 pp. 7. Thunder Bay, Bryant (Willan, Mignault) 17:31. Penalties: Palermo DRY (slashing) 1:30, Anttonen TB (unsportsmanlike conduct) 2:17, Auger TB (roughing, misconduct), Pakkala DRY (roughing, misconduct), Halushak TB (roughing) 5:44, Coutre DRY (goaltender interference) 6:31, Parra-Vaughan DRY (holding) 9:12, Browning DRY (roughing), Nicholas TB (roughing double minor, served by Gillis), 9:45, Bryant TB (high sticking, holding), Magas DRY (holding) 10:15, Browning DRY (roughing) 14:20, Browning DRY (roughing) 16:43, Bryant TB (misconduct) 17:31, Turbide TB (cross checking), Pakkala (unsportsmanlike conduct) 18:18.
GAME DATA – SOG - Dryden 10-21-9-40, Thunder Bay 24-15-20-59; Power plays (goals-chances) – Dryden (0-6), Thunder Bay (1-9); Goaltenders – Dryden: Carson Murison, Thunder Bay: Brock Aikien; A: 603.
