By Gary Moskalyk
Fort Frances, ON – Kaden Veller had two goals and one assist and Jack Osmond stopped 33 of 34 as the Bombers defeated Fort Frances 4-1 to take the series in four straight. Osmond picked up his 4th playoff win. His goals against is 1.00, with a save percentage of .968. The Bombers bring their signature stingy defence to their semi-final round against the Thunder Bay North Stars, who swept Wisconsin earlier in the evening.
Veller got his first of the game and of the playoffs, skating past a pair of Laker defenders and scoring unassisted at 4:59 of the first for a 1-0 Sioux Lookout lead. Kyle Garland tied it 22 seconds later, beating Osmond with a point shot for his first goal of the post season.
The Burke boys both connected in the second stanza as the Bombers increased their lead to 3-1. Blake deflected Veller’s point shot home at 2:24, and Connor’s backhander eluded Fort Frances’ Jack Orchard at 5:02.
Veller completed the victory with a snipe bar down at 5:37 of the third.
Sioux Lookout was 0-5 with an extra man, while Fort Frances was 0-4. The Lakers took 26 of the 40 penalty minutes assessed.
Blake Burke added an assist for a two-point night for Sioux Lookout. Orchard stopped 26 of 30 for the Lakers. Attendance was 415.