THUNDER BAY – The Thunder Bay North Stars proved that at least for now, they’re the team to beat in the Superior International Junior Hockey League.
But the Red Lake Miners showed they’re not that far behind.
For a second straight night the two teams played a rough-and-tumble, back-and-forth contest that was there for either side to take.
Toss in a third-period fight for good measure, which added to the 122 minutes in penalties called in the final frame, a goalie ejection and it was also an entertaining match for the 360 who made the trek to Fort William Gardens to watch.
In the end, it was the North Stars that prevailed, by a 5-2 count, five different Thunder Bay players lighting the lamp as the SIJHL front-runners completed a weekend sweep of the Miners, the only other SIJHL team ranked in the Canadian Junior Hockey League top 20.
Alex Erwin, who scored what proved to be the winner 4:41 into the second, said it’s a great early-season confidence boost, taking two from the Miners on home ice.
“I think that huge for the standings, a five-point lead on them is pretty good. It was one before the weekend. I think it gives us a good gap,” Erwin said.
North Stars coach Rob DeGagne, who sat out Friday’s win with a suspension, said looking at the scoreboard, his team did well.
“The kids battled. They worked hard both nights. We outshot them both nights. Can we do things better? Yeah, we can do things better. But they really worked hard and that’s the kind of hockey we want,” DeGagne said.
“You need that kind of hockey. It’s almost like a playoff atmosphere, playoff type hockey. It was good, a little bit of everything, a little bit of scoring, a little hitting and little bit of penalty kill and power play, so it was a really good weekend for us.”
Unlike Friday, it was the Stars that struck first, Keighan Gerrie scoring as he flew through the air toward Red Lake goaltender Zach Willms 4:11 into the contest. Shaye Somerfeld evened the game at the 10:32 mark, tapping the puck behind Dougie Newhouse on a great feed from Spencer Milne.
Trailing 2-1 in the second, Milne had a brilliant chance to knot the score, but with Newhouse going the other way and the net wide open, the Miners forward fired the puck off the post. A minute later teammate Bryce Young, who leads the league with 19 goals, did the same.
“The posts are always my best friend,” said Newhouse, who made 35 saves on the night.
Instead it was rookie Michael Stubbs, playing just his third SIJHL game for the Stars, who next found the back of the net, giving the host squad a 3-1 lead after 40 minutes.
Milne did manage to score five minute into the third, tipping home Mike Iatridis’ shot from the point, the goal cutting Thunder Bay’s lead to one. Brendan Gillis had the answer just shy of the midway point of the period, restoring the Stars two-goal lead and Alex Maticic sealed it with an empty netter his third of the season, with 57 seconds to go.
Thunder Bay’s Josh Bryant and Red Lake’s Tucker Evans were tossed after an tangle early in the third, and Willms was also ejected and handed a pair of misconducts after leaving the crease when pushing and shoving began late in the period.
Combined, the two teams were 0-for-11 on the power play.
Star gazing: It appears the Miners were the victim of a brazen theft. Team officials said someone broke into their dressing room and removed cash from the players’ wallets. Police were called ... The Stars are scheduled to meet Sunday with suspended forward Avery Siau. Siau was suspended 25 games for an off-ice incident in which he allegedly punched Dryden coach Kurt Walsten. He's served 21 games so far, but DeGagne isn't sure whether or not he'll bring Siau back.
FIRST PERIOD
Scoring: 1. Thunder Bay, Gerrie 15 (Auger) 4:11. 2. Red Lake, Sommerfeld 1 (Milne, Di Lullo) 10:32. Penalties: Sommerfield RLM (boarding) 0:11, Uzelman RLM (tripping) 12:56, Stubbs TB (roughing) 15:50,
SECOND PERIOD
Scoring: 3. Thunder Bay, A. Erwin 3 (Halushak) 4:41. 4. Thunder Bay, Stubbs 1 (Nicholas) 14:43. Penalties: Evans RLM, Nicholas TB (unsportsmanlike conduct) 7:13, Halushak TB (tripping) 9:12, Jacobs RLM (charging) 10:51, Tyska TB (slashing) 16:23, Turbide TB (cross checking) 18:28.
THIRD PERIOD
Scoring: 5. Red Lake, Milne 6 (Sommerfeld, Iatridis) 5:14. 6. Thunder Bay, Gillis 6 (Brassard, Auger) 9:29. 7. Thunder Bay, Maticic 3 (Gillis) 19:03 en. Penalties: Evans RLM, Bryant TB (fighting majors, game misconducts) 2:34, Willms RLM (leaving the crease), Di Lullo RLM (misconduct), Turbide TB (misconduct), A. Erwin TB (slashing, goaltender interference) 2:40, Mccollum TB (cross checking, roughing) 8:57, Pickett RLM (high sticking) 9:08, Bohnet RLM (cross checking) 17:45, Willan TB (slashing) 18:53, Gillis TB (check to the head, misconduct), Tisi RLM (check to the head, misconduct), Willm (misconduct, misconduct, game misconduct) 19:36.
GAME DATA – SOG – Red Lake 12-17-8-37, Thunder Bay 22-12-16-50; Power plays (goals-chances) – Red Lake (0-6), Thunder Bay (0-5); Goaltenders – Red Lake: Zach Willms, Vince Benedetto (19:36, third) Thunder Bay: Dougie Newhouse; A: 360.
