North Stars on brink of playoff elimination after doubleheader split

THUNDER BAY -- Ernie Banks always loved to play two, but that was baseball.

Doubleheader hockey games at the junior A level are a rarity. Sweeping both ends one is even less likely to happen.

The Thunder Bay North Stars gave themselves a chance, but a giveaway behind his own net by defenceman Joe Newhouse proved to be the difference in the nightcap, affiliate player Matthew Pitchenese pouncing on a Nic Noseworthy pass from behind the North Stars net and firing it past Thunder Bay goalie Riley Corbin for the 5-4 overtime win 3:52 into extra time.

The Ice Dogs now lead the best-of-seven series 3-1 and can wrap it up and book a trip to the Superior International Junior Hockey League final on home ice on Sunday afternoon.

Earlier in the night the North Stars copped their first win of the series, holding off the Ice Dogs for 16:05 to score a 3-2 Game 3 win, a contest suspended on Thursday night after a power outage left a swath of the city’s south side without electricity.

“We’re still alive. But it’s tough right now when you lose a game like that in sudden-death overtime. It’s called sudden-death for a reason. It’s probably the best way to describe the feeling. There is probably no worse feeling in sports for sure,” said North Stars coach Jeremy Adduono. 

“I can’t say enough about the way the kids battled through that long night of hockey.”

Each team did it with one less body than when they started, Thunder Bay’s Bryce Martyn and Dryden’s Derek McPhail – their leading scorer – tossed for fighting early in the first.

North Stars captain Kenny Turner said it was almost a blessing in disguise to have the lights go out a night earlier, clinging to a one-goal lead.

“We were on our heels yesterday. That being said, the guys came out and we responded really well, taking the win there. It would have been nice to take another two wins from them tonight, but that’s just the way it turned out,” Turner said.

After erasing an early 1-0 deficit in the first to take a 2-1 lead on a pair of power play goals by Nicholas Nigro and Kristopher Hamlin, the hometown Stars gave away their lead late in the opening stanza.

Kent Walchuck tied the game while shorthanded at 18:07, then with 23 seconds to go, Noseworthy went five-hole on Riley Corbin to push the Ice Dogs in front 3-2 heading into the intermission.

Nathan Avery added a second last-minute goal at 19:25 of the second and the visitors appeared to be in command.

But the Stars continued to battle back.

Brendan Gillis pulled Thunder Bay within a goal at 11:08 of the third, cutting across the crease to roof a shot past Dryden goalie Taylor Unruh.

Then, with time ticking away, Zac Glowatch had a brilliant chance in close, but Unruh stuffed him. Not to be outdone, seconds later Glowatch made the most of a second chance and pounded home the equalizer.

Dryden out-shot Thunder Bay 44-29.