THUNDER BAY – Keighan Gerrie had a pair of shining chances to deliver an overtime win for the Thunder Bay North Stars in their playoff opener against the visiting Dryden Ice Dogs.
So it should come as no surprise he had a huge role in the eventual game winner.
Gerrie, who led the SIJHL with 102 points, took the puck off the draw deep in the Ice Dogs zone, drew the opposition defenders to him, then effortlessly slid the puck to a wide-open Joel Willan, who blasted the puck past a diving Jacob Anthony in the Dryden net to earn the Thunder Bay North Stars a 4-3 triumph to open their best-of-seven Superior International Junior Hockey League final.
“There was lots of traffic in front and (Keighan) made a beautiful pass, right on the tape, and it was in the back of the net,” said Willan, the fifth-leading scorer in the SIJHL during regular-season play with 87 points.
Sporting a reverse Mohawk haircut, Willan said even he couldn’t believe just how open he was on the game-winning play.
But at least one teammate had an inkling he’d be the overtime hero.
“I had a lot of excitement going into that overtime. Ben Erwin, we were talking about it and he said he thinks I was going to get the game-winner,” Willan said.
“I told him I never had an OT winner in my hockey career before, so when I saw the puck go in, it was awesome to see.”
Gerrie, who was stopped on a breakaway by Anthony three minutes into the open frame and robbed again on a tough shot from the Dryden crease – moments after the Ice Dogs had nearly put it away at the other end of the Fort William Gardens Ice – said it was a relief to get the series opener, a game that saw the Stars take the lead on four separate occasions.
“I had a lucky bounce off the wall. It came right to me and I tried to suck everyone in to come to me,” said Gerrie, with at least one NHL scout in the stands.
“That left Willan wide open for a nice one-timer. It was a really nice feeling, especially after missing those first couple of chances. To come out on top is really good for us.”
Taking Game 1 was important, he added.
“It feels great to be up. You never want to be trailing. We say in the room all the time that we don’t let anyone beat us in our home rink and that’s what we did today,” the 17-year-old forward said. “We didn’t stop working and we got the lucky bounce and came out on top.
Gerrie, who finished with a goal and two assists, scored the lone goal of the first, tipping home a Logan Mihalcin point shot six minutes into the contest.
Jacob Siebenga knotted the score with the Ice Dogs down a man, pounding a rebound past North Stars goaltender Brock Aiken 2:19 in to the second. Jacob Brown restored Thunder Bay’s one goal lead just past the midway point of the period, the Stars taking a 2-1 lead into the third.
Rayman Bassi tied it again at 10:13 of the third, only to have Ryan Mignault bang home a shot from the side of the Dryden net with 6:21 left in regulation.
But the Ice Dogs didn’t quit and Tyler Browning scored a power play goal with 2:26 to play, sending the game to overtime.
“Will is better than skill sometimes and we have to have the will as well,” said Stars coach Rob DeGagne. “That’s a playoff hockey game. That’s great hockey and that’s what we need. We needed more of those in the regular season. I’ll tell you what, the fans sure got their money’s worth.”
Game 2 goes Friday night at the Gardens.
Star gazing: Attendance was 685, a season high for the North Stars.
FIRST PERIOD
Scoring: 1. Thunder Bay, Gerrie 1 (Mihalcin) 5:57. Penalties: Browning DRY (intereference) 19:20.
SECOND PERIOD
Scoring: 2. Dryden, Siebenga (Sargent) 2:19 sh. 3. Thunder Bay, Brown 1 (Gerrie, Willan) 10:10. Penalties: Coutre DRY (slashing) 1:13, Halushak TB (slashing) 15:07, Huemmert DRY (slashing) 15:27, Nicholas TB (roughing, unsportsmanlike conduct), Browning DRY (roughing) 18:58, Gerrie TB (intereference) 19:50.
THIRD PERIOD
Scoring: 4. Dryden, Bassi 1 (Sargent, Siebenga) 10:13. 5. Thunder Bay, Mignault TB 1 (Gillis) 13:39. 6. Dryden, Browning 1 (Siebenga, Bassi) 17:34 pp. Penalties: Shea DRY (hooking) 2:34, Auger TB (roughing) 8:25, Brandt DRY (high sticking) 8:41, Fortin TB (cross checking) 15:55.
OVERTIME
Scoring: 7. Thunder Bay, Willan 1 (Gerrie) 10:12. Penalties: None.
GAME DATA – SOG – Dryden 11-16-8-4-39, Thunder Bay 15-10-11-12-48-; Power plays (goals-chances) – Dryden (1-5), Thunder Bay (0-4); Goaltenders – Dryden: Jacob Anthony, Thunder Bay: Brock Aiken; A: 685.
