SUPERIOR INTERNATIONAL JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
SIJHL MEDIA UPDATE
Release Date: Saturday, Nov. 12, 2016
Photo credit: Clint Bruyere
Fort Frances skates to 3rd straight victory
FORT FRANCES, Ont. – The Fort Frances Lakers got a pair of goals from forward Jaden Gustafson along with three assists from defenceman Brandon Zajicek to help them skate to their third Superior International Junior Hockey League victory in a row Saturday as they defeated the Thief River Falls Norskies 6-3 at Ice for Kids Arena.
Taking advantage of an early five-minute power play, Fort Frances grabbed a 2-0 lead after one period of play with man advantage markers from Gustafson and Jack Bernie.
Gustafson added to the Lakers lead 4:16 into the middle session before Mitchell Soderberg’s seventh of the season got the Norskies on the board 8:40.
Fort Frances answered however with offensive efforts from Tyler Malpass and Ryan Gazich to go up 5-1 after 40 minutes.
Thief River Falls made a brief comeback bid to begin the third on tallies from Alec Daman and Connor Smith to pull within two with still 15 minutes to play.
However, the Lakers got some insurance on Dawson Wadell’s first SIJHL goal midway through the final frame to round out the night’s scoring.
Ian Jarvis chipped in with a pair of assists for Fort Frances.
Ryan Wagner made 26 saves to win his third straight start for the Lakers.
Kross Braaten started in net for the Norskies and suffered the loss allowing four against in nearly 32 minutes of work.
Sam Novak entered in relief for Thief River Falls after the fourth Fort Frances marker saving 12 of the 14 attempts he saw.