It’s a regular season the Thunder Bay North Stars would most certainly like to forget.
On Friday night it came to a merciful end at Fort William Gardens, the visiting Minnesota Iron Rangers (30-20-6) securing second place and home-ice advantage in their semifinal series against the Dryden Ice Dogs with a 4-2 triumph.
The Stars, locked in fourth, battled back from a 4-0 deficit after two periods, but couldn’t take advantage of a pair of two-man advantages in the third and came up short in their quest to be Superior International Junior Hockey League spoilers.
It’s a clean slate now, said Thunder Bay forward Brandon Wolframe, who had a goal and an assist in the finale, giving the 21-year-old 51 points in 51 outings.
“Losing is never fun, but luckily in this league everyone makes playoffs, including the elimination series we have to play. We kind of luck out in that regard,” the Thunder Bay native said. “I think we’ve just got to come back on Sunday, get refocused and get ready for Tuesday.”
The Stars will open the SIJHL playoffs at home on Tuesday night, taking on the English River Miners in a best-of-five series for the right to take on the top-ranked Fort Frances Lakers in the other SIJHL semifinal.
Wolframe said having to play the extra series might be a blessing in disguise.
“I think in our respects, it’s almost a good thing that we’re playing in this. It will be a good confidence builder if we come out with the win and going into the next round we should be fresh and ready to go,” he said.
It’s the type of talk coach Jeremy Adduono likes to hear.
The team has to turn the page in a hurry on a season that saw them finish 27-25-4.
“We know that the regular season is only one part to the whole year. Now everyone is starting fresh. It’s kind of the old cliché or the old adage. It’s a brand new season now and our goal is just to make sure we’re playing at the highest level possible that we can be playing,” Adduono said.
He’d probably point to the second period as an example of what not to do.
For a second straight night the Stars entered the second trailing by a goal, only to watch their opponent pile up the scores.
They gave up five in the middle frame on Wednesday night, and three more on Friday night.
Preston Kugler started the blitz just 40 seconds in, blasting a shot untouched past North Stars goalie Nathaniel Dupuis for his first goal of the campaign.
A.J. Rupert upped the lead at the 9:01 mark. Eight minutes later Evan Bennett stripped the puck from a North Stars player, then scored on a second effort, grabbing his own rebound, circling behind the net and banking it off Dupuis for a 4-0 lead.
Nicholas Nigro got the North Stars on the board at 4:09 of the third, rifling a wrist shot from the slot that beat goalie-of-the-year candidate Devin Tappenden.
The Stars best chance to close the gap to one came when Bradley Belisle just missed burying a beautiful cross-ice feed from Daniel McKitrick. Wolframe wrapped up the scoring with 6:30 to play in regulation.
Iron Rangers coach Chris Walby said road wins this week against Fort Frances and Thunder Bay are a statement to the rest of the league.
“It’s a big road trip for us and a big week. A lot of people thought we couldn’t win on the road down here in the stretch. And they were right, we didn’t have a road win since Jan. 10. But we did this week, which is great. It was crucial.”
The Iron Rangers’ second-place finish was a first in franchise history.
FIRST PERIOD
Scoring: 1. Minnesota, Millis (Sabina) 3:16. Penalties: Bennett MIR (slashing) 3:31, Turner TB (tripping) 4:31, Fobair MIR (cross checking) 5:22, Siau TB (high sticking) 13:35, Fazio MIR (hooking) 16:16.
SECOND PERIOD
Scoring: 2. Minnesota, Kugler 1(Fazio) 0:40. 3. Minnesota, Rupert (Routheau, Reynolds) 9:01 pp. 4. Minnesota, Bennett (unassisted) 17:21. Penalties: Chumley MIR (boarding) 1:32, Newhouse TB (boarding major, game misconduct) 7:52, Wesley-Chisel TB (interference) 9:52, Walsh TB (check to the head, misconduct) 17:21.
THIRD PERIOD
Scoring: 5. Thunder Bay, Nigro (McKitrick, Bra. Wolframe) 4:09 pp. 6. Thunder Bay, Bra. Wolrame (unassisted) 13:30 pp. Penalties: Millis MIR (tripping) 3:20. Erikson MIR (tripping) 6:48, Fazio MIR (hooking) 7:21, Arnold MIR (slashing, unsportsmanlike conduct), Taylor TB (unsportsmanlike conduct) 12:54, Anderson MIR (hooking) 13:00, Anderson MIR (spearing double minor) 16:38.
GAME DATA – SOG – Minnesota 21-20-13-54 Thunder Bay 13-11-11-35; Power plays (goals-chances) – Minnesota (1-4), Thunder Bay (2-11); Goaltenders – Minnesota: Devin Tappenden, Thunder Bay: Nathaniel Dupuis; A: 400.
