Stars capture SIJHL title with 8-1 defeat over Ice Dogs

Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.

The Fort William North Stars know all about that. A year ago, at the Dudley Hewitt Cup, the Stars entered the third period of the tournament’s final game against the Kingston Voyageurs knotted at a goal apiece.

But their second Ontario Junior A title was not to be.

This year they think they have what it takes to go all the way, perhaps even bring home a national championship while they’re at it.

On Tuesday night at Fort William Gardens they took their latest step, thrashing the visiting Dryden Ice Dogs 8-1 to capture the Bill Salonen Cup as the Superior International Junior Hockey League champions. It took the Stars five games to dispose of their fiercest rivals, just one over the minimum.

Forward Ryan Pearson, a mid-season pick-up from the Voyageurs, scored twice to pace the Stars in the finale. He said hoisting a league championship trophy was a long time in coming.

“It’s been three years I’ve been waiting for this,” said the Kenora native. “It feels great.”

This Stars team isn’t fooling around, despite an early playoff hiccup against these same Ice Dogs, a pair of round-robin losses that served as more of a wake-up call than anything else.

Losing to Dryden in the opening round-robin, which pitted the top three teams against each other in little more than a seeding exercise, might have been the best thing that could have happened to the North Stars, Pearson said.

“I was big-time wake up call. We didn’t play our game and (coach Todd Howarth) told us in the room we had to go. And that’s what we did, we picked it up big time,” Pearson said.

Howarth, who brought 12 familiar faces along for the ride – along with 11 newcomers – shared those same sentiments.

“I think we just didn’t compete hard enough (against Dryden). That’s not a typical North Stars team. We’ve always been noted for competing hard all the time. When we lost we were putting in 60 or 70 per cent efforts. If you play a good team, you’re going to lose.”

In the clincher against the Ice Dogs, it appeared they doubled that early standard, as mathematically impossible as it may be. At no point were the Stars in any danger.

Pearson opened the scoring 5:26 into the one-sided affair, and double the lead four-and-a-half minutes later. After being left alone in Josh Baker’s crease the Kenora native turned and fired low, the puck eluding the soon-to-be-ousted goalie under his pads.

Kyle Breukelman’s tally at 14:35, a rocket from the point that went untouched on its way to the twine, was enough to chase Baker from the net, his third goal allowed on just six shots. His replacement, Curtis Barker, kept the Stars at bay for the rest of the period, and allowed just a single goal to Ryan Magill in the second.

But he was no match for top-ranked Fort William in the third, which saw the North Stars score four unanswered goal off the sticks of four different players – Kevin Hamel, Dan Usiski, Trevor Gamache and Travis Savard – en route to the seven-goal win.

Now, nothing short of a trip to nationals is good enough for Howarth.

“I really believe this team is as good as last year or better. It’s a team that plays their best there and really comes together as a team is going to win it,” Howarth said.

Gamache, the league’s MVP, said at 20, he knows this is his last kick at the can. He wants to make it count.

“We want to win the Dudley and it feels even better than last year. I had a feeling before the game that I’ve never had before. It’s unbelievable,” he said.

The Stars, who won the DHC in 2006, will be joined in Sault Ste. Marie by the host Soo Thunderbirds, the Abitibi Eskimos and the winner between Newmarket and Oakville. The tournament begins April 20.

FIRST PERIOD
Scoring: 1. Fort William, Pearson 6 (Henley, Fummerton) 5:26. 2. Fort William, Pearson 7 (Hanlan) 9:51. 3. Fort William, Breukelman (Halcrow, Fummerton) 14:35. Penalties: Heck DRY (roughing) 6:40 Hamel FW (hooking) 19:16.

SECOND PERIOD
Scoring: 4. Fort William, Magill (Hanlan, Fummerton) 6:00. 5. Dryden, Heck (McClellan) 12:42. Penalties: Gyori, DRY (tripping) 4:46, Breukelman (roughing) 6:34, Liley DRY (spearing double minor) 6:34.

THIRD PERIOD
Scoring: 6. Fort William, Hamel (Magill) 1:04. 7. Fort William, Usiski (Davis) 3:50. 8. Fort Willliam, Gamache (unassisted) 4:31. 9. Fort William, Savard (Pearson) 10:12. Penalties: Marsh FW (interference) 7:38, Vadnais DRY (boarding) 10:48

Game Data – SOG – Dryden 5-0-0-0, Fort William 9-0-0-0; Power plays (goals-chances) – Dryden (0-0), Fort William (0-3); Goaltenders – Dryden: Josh Baker (six shots, three saves),Curtis Barker (14:35 first); Fort William: Guillaume Piche; A: 500 (estimated).