HOYT LAKES, Minn. – The Thunder Bay North Stars are headed to the second round of the Superior International Junior League playoffs.
Brendan Gillis scored a hat trick on Thursday night in Hoyt Lakes, Minn. to lead the Stars to a 7-3 Game 3 win over the Minnesota Iron Rangers and a series sweep of the best-of-five set, earning them a date with the Thief River Falls Norskies in Round 2.
Gillis scored five times in the opening round.
Alex Maticic, Jake Behse, Logan Mihalcin and Avery Siau also scored for Thunder Bay, who put up 23 goals in three games against the Iron Rangers.
Max Sturko, Joel Nagy and Cody Hendrickson scored for Minnesota, who battled back from two goals down in the second to tie the game 3-3, only to have Thunder Bay score four unanswered goals to put the contest away.
Dougie Newhouse allowed three goals on 27 shots for the win, while Tyler Thompson stopped 53 of the 60 shots directed his way. The Stars poured in 50 shots or more in all three games against the last place Iron Rangers, who won just six games all season long.
The second-round is expected to get under way in early April, the Norskies facing availability issues with their rink.
