THUNDER BAY – The Thunder Bay North Stars were lights out on Saturday night – literally.
The Superior International Junior Hockey League club captured its sixth straight win, scoring the game’s first three goals and going on to a 6-2 defeat over the visiting Dryden Ice Dogs at Fort William Gardens, a game delayed 20 minutes when the lights over the ice surface cut out.
Jacob Anttonen scored twice for the host squad, giving him 10 points in his last four games and upping his season goal total to seven.
The rookie said he and his line-mates, brothers Alex and Ben Erwin, have been gelling as they get used to playing with each other again.
“All three of us are hard workers. We love digging in the corners, using the body. Knowing where each other is, is pretty big on the line. Everyone is in the right positions and getting the puck where it needs to be.”
It’s making playing hockey a heck of a lot of fun, the Thunder Bay Kings grad said.
“Yeah, but I couldn’t have done it without my line-mates though,” Anttonen said.
Ben Erwin had a goal and an assist in the win, brother Alex picking up a pair of helpers.
It’s production North Stars coach Rob DeGagne ready admits he wasn’t necessarily counting on when the season began.
“You know, no,” DeGagne said when asked if he thought the trio would work its way into the league’s top 15 in scoring.
“But I knew they played together in minor hockey. They played minor hockey all the way up, those three together. It was just a matter of time,” DeGagne said.
It was Anttonen who opened the scoring, hanging onto the puck while circling in front of Dryden goaltender Jordan Wilde, waiting just long enough to work his way to a wide-open cage and a 1-0 north Stars lead.
Four minutes later, at 8:39 of the first, Joel Willan snagged a Ryan Mignault rebound and slammed it five-hole on Wilde. Then, with the Ice Dogs down a man, soon-to-be all star Brendan Gillis struck, firing the puck over the Dryden goalie’s left shoulder.
After Michael Stubbs was denied on a second-period penalty shot, the Ice Dogs finally solved North Stars goalie Dougie Newhouse, Dylan Winsor potting his fourth of the season to pull Dryden within three, Michael Vecchio having earlier in the period upped the Thunder Bay lead to 4-0 on the backhand.
The Stars added two more in the third, Ben Erwin scoring an unassisted goal on a partial break off a turnover and Anttonen scoring Thunder Bay’s sixth of the game on his team’s 50th shot of the night.
Eric Stout, a 30-goal scorer last season, completed the scoring with 1:01 to play, sliding a loose puck past Aiken for his 10th of the campaign.
The Stars, who out-shot the Ice Dogs 54-31, were playing without star forward Keighan Gerrie, who was on a recruitment trip at Ohio’s Bowling Green University.
Star gazing: DeGagen confirmed the team will welcome Avery Siau back to the line-up on Wednesday. He was serving a 25-game suspension for an altercation with Dryden coach Kurt Walsten last season. He’ll likely dress on Wednesday night, when the North Stars host Fort Frances.
FIRST PERIOD
Scoring: 1. Thunder Bay, Anttonen 6 (A. Erwin, Halushak) 4:29. 2. Thunder Bay, Willan 11 (Mignault, Auger) 8:39. 3. Thunder Bay, Gillis 9 (Mignault) 14:53 pp. Penalties: Vecchio TB (cross checking) 11:12, Parra-Vaughan DRY (check to the head, misconduct, served by Siebenga) 12:12, Palermo DRY (high sticking) 13:30.
SECOND PERIOD
Scoring: 4. Thunder Bay, Vechhio 6 (unassisted) 4:29. 5. Dryden, Winsor (Browning, Siebenga) 18:11 pp. Penalties: Magas DRY (interference), Parra-Vaughan DRY (misconduct, game misconduct) 5:43, Vecchio TB (high sticking) 9:01, Maticic TB (tripping) 11:03, Auger TB (slashing) 12:46, McCollum TB (tripping) 16:13.
THIRD PERIOD
Scoring: 6. Thunder Bay, B. Erwin (unassisted) 0:43. 7. Thunder Bay, Anttonen 7 (B. Erwin, A. Erwin) 14:39 pp. 8. Dryden, Stout 10 (Coutre, Oliphant) 18:59. Penalties: Bench minor DRY (too many men) 2:01, Bryant TB (elbowing) 8:23, Tyska DRY, Winsor TB (roughing) 11:13, Nicholas TB (cross checking, misconduct) 11:24, Halushak TB (cross checking, misconduct), Koch DRY (cross checking, unsportsmanlike conduct, misconduct) 14:34, A. Erwin TB (boarding) 15:21, Magas DRY (cross checking major, game misconduct), Shea DRY (unsportsmanlike conduct, misconduct), McCollum TB (kneeing, misconduct), Kilby TB (interference) 18:46.
GAME DATA – SOG – Dryden 4-17-10-31, Thunder Bay 17-20-17-54; Power plays (goals-chances) – Dryden (1-7), Thunder Bay (2-6); Goaltenders – Dryden: Jordan Wilde, Thunder Bay: Dougie Newhouse; A: 370.
