SIJHL semifinal dates confirmed

The Superior International Junior Hockey League’s semifinal dates are set.

The Dryden Ice Dogs and Fort Frances Lakers kick off their best-of-seven series Thursday night in Fort Frances, with Game 2 scheduled for Friday.

The series shifts to Dryden on Monday and Tuesday, with Game 5, if necessary, locked into March 28.

In seven previous playoff meetings, the past six in the semifinal round, the Ice Dogs lead with four series wins to three – including a pair of semifinal wins over the Borderland Thunder in 2003 and 2005.

In the other series, the Minnesota Wilderness will take on the upstart Minnesota Iron Rangers, who on Wednesday night eliminated the Thunder Bay North Stars 5-3 in Game 3 of their best-of-three play-in series.

Game 1 is scheduled for Friday at the Northwoods Credit Union Arena in Cloquet, Minn., with Game 2 to be played the following night.
The best-of-seven set switches to Hoyt Lakes, Minn. on Tuesday.

The two winners will advance to the SIJHL final. The winner of that series will represent the league at the Dudley Hewitt Cup in North Bay starting April 30.