OLIVER PAIPOONGE, Ont. – The Thunder Bay North Stars played both spoiler on Friday night and helped determine who they’ll play if they advance to the second round of the Superior International Junior Hockey League playoffs.
Brandon Bodnar stopped 22 shots to record his league-leading seventh shutout of 2017-18 to lead the Stars to a 5-0 win over the Thief River Falls Norskies on the penultimate day of the SIJHL campaign, assuring the Norskies would finish second behind the Dryden Ice Dogs.
It was the 10th shutout of Bodnar’s career.
Dryden edged Fort Frances 4-3 in a shootout, the two results clinching top spot in the standings.
Avery Siau scored twice to lead the Stars offensively, with singles going to Ryan Mignault, Turner Santin and Owen Belisle.
The two teams played a scoreless first, but Thunder Bay broke out with three in the second, including Santin’s with just 24 seconds to play.
Lakehead improved to 38-12-5 and takes on English River Miners to close out the season, a preview of their opening-round playoff match. Thief River Falls fell to 40-11-4, four points behind Dryden with one game to play.
Both North Stars games were moved to the NorWest Arena to accommodate a concert originally scheduled at Fort William Gardens, but later moved to the Community Auditorium.
