SIJHL: Team-by-team updates

DRYDEN ICE DOGS: The Ice Dogs are 2-0-1 in their past three outings.

Defenceman Len Pelletier has recorded points in each of the club’s four games. Jesse Linner is the scoring leader after four games.

Linner, Thomas Greene and Ian Schachte all have three-game point streaks while Brett Timmerman is first in save percentage at .930.

Dryden leads the SIJHL on the power play at 22.2 per cent scoring eight times in 36 opportunities. They are fourth however on the penalty kill at 83.3 per cent.
 
DULUTH CLYDESDALES: With head coach Chris Locker laid up with a broken ankle, Duluth has added veteran coach Hal Tearse to the team’s bench staff.

The Clydes went 1-2 in their first games of the season last week.

Matt Morsette’s five points in their opening night victory at Sioux Lookout set a new team record for most points in a game. It beat the old mark of four initially set by Julius Tamasy last Jan. 2 against Thunder Bay.

Of note, Dillon Mershon and Jordan Shockley both had four points as well in Friday’s contest vs. the Flyers.

Eight of the next 10 games for Duluth will be on home ice.

FORT FRANCES LAKERS: The Lakers are 2-0 in shootouts so far this season.

Goaltender Tyler Ampe is three wins shy of 30 posting a 27-12-1 record in 42 overall appearances.

Dating back to last season he has won his last five starts. Jordan Larson, currently the SIJHL’s leading goal scorer and point producer is the third youngest player in the league behind only Thunder Bay’s Dylan Mascarin and Duluth’s Tyler Sworsky.

Fort Frances is fourth in the SIJHL on the power play at 14.63 per centand second on the penalty kill at 87.88 per cent.

The Lakers do not return to game action until Oct. 4 when they host Iron Range.

SIOUX LOOKOUT FLYERS: Jayme Brattengeier’s 49-save effort Saturday against Thunder Bay moved him up to second in save percentage among all SIJHL goaltenders at .921.

Anthony Wolfe tops the Flyers in offensive production early on with seven points, which is the second best total in the entire league. Jacob Brown leads all SIJHL defencemen in points with six.

Sioux Lookout will be without Brown’s services Tuesday vs. Dryden however as he sits out a one-game suspension for a game misconduct incurred in the last 10 minutes of play in the game against the North Stars.

THUNDER BAY NORTH STARS: Thunder Bay remains winless early in the season at 0-2-1.

The club has their home opener Saturday as the host Wisconsin at the Fort William Gardens. Defenceman Kyle Breukelman leads the Stars offensively with four points.

After three games the North Stars are third overall on the power play at 16.67 per cent, but sit in the cellar while on the penalty kill at 78.79 per cent, having allowed a league-worst seven power play goals.

WISCONSIN WILDERNESS: Goaltender Zane Sampson is 2-0 and tops all netminders in goals-against average at 2.00.

He is also third in save percentage at .917. First-year D-man Anthony Calabrese has points in his first four SIJHL games.

Wisconsin leads the SIJHL on the penalty kill at 89.47 per cent. They are second with the man advantage at 21.05 per cent.

IRON RANGE IRONHEADS: The Ironheads first-ever SIJHL game is scheduled for Friday in Duluth.

They are slated to play their first six games on the road before their home opener Oct. 23 against Sioux Lookout. They will play home contests in multiple arenas their first season including contests scheduled in the Northern Minnesota communities of Chisolm, Hoyt Lakes, Coleraine, Hibbing and Eveleth.

The head coach of the Ironheads is Steve Chelios.