Stars score late to take 2-0 series lead

It wasn’t as easy as the night before, but the Thunder Bay Stars have opened a 2-0 lead in their opening-round SIJHL playoff series against the Sioux Lookout Flyers.

Quinn Remple and Sam Dubinsky scored in the final four minutes of regulation to break a 5-5 tie, handing the Stars a 7-5 home ice win at Fort William Gardens on Saturday night.

The Flyers had control of the game after one, opening a 3-2 lead on a pair of Darnell Ferland tallies that came two minutes apart midway through the stanza.

Isaac Howarth tied the contest 11 seconds into the second, and Thunder Bay took the lead at 5:35 when Daniel Franks beat Jay Pelletier, who took over for starter Guillaume Piche after the Flyers third goal.

Chasen Dobranski, who scored the opener for Sioux Lookout in the first, evened the score once again at 13:51, but Franks netted his second of the night with three minutes to go, giving the Stars a 5-4 lead heading into the third.

Ryan Presthus notched an unassisted marker at 14:54 to pull the Flyers even at fives, but 66 seconds later Rempel netted the winner.

In other SIJHL action Saturday night, Keith Tessin and Tom Paine had a goal and an assist apiece to earn the Wisconsin Wilderness a second straight win in the 1-2 playoff against the Fort France Lakers. Nathan Paulsen and Andrew Anderson also replied for the Wilderness in the 4-0 triumph. Jake Hebda made 34 shots to pick up the shutout.

The Wolves and Flyers will continue their best-of-seven series on Wednesday night in Sioux Lookout. Game 4 goes Thursday, with the action returning to Thunder Bay next Saturday, if necessary.