DRYDEN, Ont. – The Dryden GM Ice Dogs broke open a tie score with a trio of second period tallies to help send them on their way to an eventual 4-2 victory over the Fort Frances Lakers Tuesday night in Game 1 of their Superior International Junior Hockey League quarter-final series at Memorial Arena.
It was the visiting Lakers that opened the scoring five and a half minutes into the contest as Chase Robideau went high from the right side on GM Ice Dogs starter Jacob Anthony.
Dryden countered with the equalizer at 12:56 with Curtis Magas whipping a shot from the point that found its way past Jacob Gnodziejko in the Fort Frances net.
The GM Ice Dogs then took the lead early in the middle stanza with Tyler Browning deflecting a Trey Palermo attempt while parked in front of the visitor’s net.
Going to the power play later in the frame, Browning added another as his left point shot found its way through a screen at the top of the crease to make it 3-1 at 12:24.
Dryden wasn’t done there as on the tail end of being down two men, Malcolm Huemmert came out of the penalty box and was sent in alone on a shorthanded breakaway where he made a couple of quick dekes and slipped the puck into the open side past a sprawled Gnidziejko three minutes later.
Fort Frances cut into the deficit 4:12 into the third after breaking out of their own zone that eventually led to Robideau to darting into Dryden territory and firing a shot that clipped the glove of Anthony on the way by before hitting the back of the net.
The Lakers pulled their netminder late for an extra attacker to try and draw closer, but the GM Ice Dogs held firm to secure the Game 1 win.
Cameron Coutre had two assists in the decision for the hosts.
Shots on goal in the contest favoured Dryden by a 34-28 count with Anthony earning the victory while Gnidziejko suffered the setback.
Game 2 in this best-of-five affair goes Wednesday night back in Dryden at 7:30 p.m.
SIJHL Playoffs
Series A
No. 4 Dryden GM Ice Dogs vs. No. 5 Fort Frances Lakers
Dryden leads best-of-five series 1-0
Game 1: Dryden 4 Fort Frances 2
Game 2: Wednesday, March 20 @ Dryden 7:30 p.m. (Memorial Arena)
Game 3: Friday, March 22 @ Fort Frances 7:30 p.m. (Ice for Kids Arena)
Game 4*: Saturday, March 23 @ Fort Frances 7:30 p.m. (Ice for Kids Arena)
Game 5*: Monday, March 25 @ Dryden 7:30 p.m. (Memorial Arena)
*-if necessary