THUNDER BAY – Kyler Belluz wasn’t necessarily on the Thunder Bay North Stars radar when the Superior International Junior Hockey League season began.
He started the fall with the Thunder Bay Fighting Walleyes in the local Jr. B. circuit, but when injuries ate into the blue-line depth of the Thunder Bay North Stars, he was summoned to Junior A.
It looks like he’s here to stay.
On Saturday, playing in his eighth game with the streaking North Stars, the 18-year-old gave coach Rob DeGagne a good reason to keep him in the lineup, scoring his first SIJHL goal at a crucial time, doubling a razor-thin Thunder Bay lead from one to two.
With the pressure valve loosened slightly, the North Stars went on to down the visiting Fort Frances Lakers 4-1, completing the home-and-home sweep after beating them 5-1 on Friday night in Fort Frances.
Belluz gave all the credit for the goal to teammate Niklas Campbell, who spotted him standing alone in front of Lakers goaltender Dylan Kosik.
“I saw Campbell in the corner and I’ve played with him for years,” Belluz said. “I knew if I went back door, if he could find me he could do that. He has the hands for it. Sure enough, he put it right on my stick. He did all the work for me. I just had to tap it in.”
It couldn’t have come at a more opportune time to net his first goal at this level.
“It was awesome and it was even better it being an important goal and not just a blowout goal, something to put my team ahead and secure victory.”
North Stars coach Rob DeGagne said it was great to see Belluz, who initially signed as an affiliate player before inking a contract to remain with the Stars for the rest of the season, finally put one in.
“He’s a big kid, a young kid. He kind of reminds me of (Matthew) Halushak, who we had last year – big and strong and coming out of the Kings program,” DeGagne said. “They develop a lot of good players there. He likes to play and it was really nice to see him step up and score that goal.
“That was a big goal for us at that time. It was timely … He’s been really solid for us. He’s been steady, he’s been solid and you need those big defencemen that stay home and don’t rush the puck all the time.”
It was the fourth straight win for the North Stars (12-1-1), who are a perfect 7-0-0 at home and listed 13th in the Canadian Junior Hockey League rankings.
The two teams played a scoreless first, the Stars outshooting the Lakers 16-9.
Thunder Bay struck first, Evan Nicholas jumping on a rebound in front of Kosik and burying it for a 1-0 lead.
Jacob Brown went short-side on Koski on the power play with four minutes to go in the middle stanza to double up the North Stars lead, but the Lakers (7-8-1) struck back with the man advantage and 71 seconds to go in the period.
Jack Lane wired the puck just under the cross bar, beating Thunder Bay goalie Seth McKay for the first and only time of the night.
Campbell wrapped up the scoring late in a feisty third, that saw the North Stars Thomas Young and the Lakers Matthew Dyck exchange punches.
The North Stars, who outshot Fort Frances 38-32, host Wisconsin on Wednesday.
FIRST PERIOD
Scoring: None. Penalties: Dhaliwal FF (interference) 4:48, Bench minor FF (too many men, served by 27) 7:24, Chapman FF (cross checking) 9:20, Fortin TB (tripping) 9:44, Belluz TB (unsportsmanlike conduct) 14:40,
SECOND PEROD
Scoring: 1. Thunder Bay, Nicholas 3 (Anttonen, Mihalcin) 3:59. 2. Thunder Bay, Brown 12 (Willan, Mihalcin) 15:52 pp. 3. Fort Frances, Lane 5 (Hoefler) 18:49 pp. Penalties: Fortin TB (interference) 0:48, Flett FF (holding) 10:48, B. Erwin TB (high sticking), Malpass FF (slashing) 11:12, Dyck FF (slashing), Stelzl FF (misconduct) 15:38, Fortin TB (cross checking) 16:55, Brown TB (cross checking) 19:44.
THIRD PERIOD
Scoring: 4. Thunder Bay, Belluz 1 (Tyska)10:36. 5. Thunder Bay, Campbell 4 (Bruchkowski) 17:47. Penalties: Loveday FF (Unsportsmanlike conduct) 7:17, Mihalcin TB (cross checking, game misconduct), Brown TB (checking from behind, game misconduct), Dyck FF (unsportsmanlike conduct), Malpass FF (checking from behind, game misconduct) 11:57, Hahkala FF (unsportsmanlike conduct) 17:47, Anttonen TB (butt endin gdouble minor) 19:22.
GAME DATA – SOG – Fort Frances 9-12-11-32, Thunder Bay 16-14-8-38; Power plays (goals-chances) – Fort Frances (1-7), Thunder Bay (1-7); Goaltenders: Fort Frances: Dylan Kosik, Thunder Bay: Seth McKay; A: 333.
