THUNDER BAY – The Thunder Bay North Stars are starting to show a crack or two in their game.
On Friday night it was the offence that couldn’t get going.
Blame that on English River Miners goalie Michael Lenko, who stopped 44 of 45 shots he faced at Frot William Gardens in leading his team to a 2-1 win.
Try as they might, the North Stars struggled to put the puck in the net.
After a scoreless first, Zac Schlitt opened the scoring at 13:19 of the second, potting his third of the season against Thunder Bay’s first-year goaltender Jordan Elliott.
Jake Robinson responded in a hurry, evening the score exactly a minute later with his eighth of the campaign.
It was all the offence they could muster.
English River’s Trevor Pereverzoff won in just past the midway point of the third, beating Elliott for his 12th goal of 2016-17.
Elliott made 27 saves in taking the loss for the second-place Stars, who dropped to 23-9-2.
English River (14-13-4) maintained its slim hold on fourth, a point ahead of Fort Frances (13-13-5), who blanked expansion Thief River Falls 5-0 on Friday night.
The North Stars and Miners play again on Saturday night at the Gardens. Game time is 7:30 p.m.
