SIJHL: English River scores late to tie it, down North Stars in shootout

Live by the last-second goal, die by the last-second goal.

A week after stealing a win over the English River Miners with less than a second to play, the Thunder Bay North Stars had the tables turned on them.

Brandon Schaber scored a shorthanded marker with one second left in regulation and Daniel Szpakowski scored the only goal of the shootout as the host English River Miners (6-9-4) pulled off a surprising 4-3 win on Friday night.

The North Stars led 2-0 after one, Joe Newhouse and Jared Franti each scoring on the power play. But the Miners rallied to tie it early in the third, Konnar Dechaine beating Eric Mann for his 15th of the campaign and Szpakowski his fourth.

Brad Arabia gave the Stars their second lead of the night at the 7:25 mark of the third.

Miners goalie Reid Kilburn turned aside Newhouse, Brad Thrower and Christian Ward in the shootout.

The Stars (6-9-2) travel to Fort Frances on Saturday. English River’s next action is on Friday night when they travel to Thunder Bay.