DRYDEN, Ont. – The Dryden GM Ice Dogs picked up a goal and an assist from Trey Palermo to help lift them to a 5-2 triumph over the Fort Frances Lakers Saturday in Game 2 of their Superior International Junior Hockey League semifinal series at Memorial Arena.
With the result, Dryden now leads the best-of-seven affair 2-0 heading into Game Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. CT at Ice for Kids Arena in Fort Frances.
SIJHL Top Defenceman award recipient Cory Dennis staked the home side to the lead as he notched the lone marker of the opening frame at 13:36.
Palermo added to the Dryden cushion in the middle session before Graham Oliphant made it 3-0 with 43 seconds left in the stanza.
Fort Frances got back into it on the first shift of the third period thanks to Noah Loveday, but the GM Ice Dogs countered a couple shifts later after corralling a loose puck in the slot and getting it over to an open Tristan Simm, who chipped his first league playoff goal over a sprawled Ismael Ralsten in the Lakers’ net.
After Dustin Roitelman brought the visitors back to within two at the tail-end of a five-minute man advantage, Dryden’s Trevor Kavanaugh wrapped up the night’s scoring with a power play effort of his own at 16:34.
The GM Ice Dogs also held the edge in shots by a 30-25 count with Jacob Gnidziejko picking up the win while Ralsten suffered the loss.
SIJHL Playoffs
Series C
Semifinal series
No. 1 Dryden GM Ice Dogs vs. No. 5 Fort Frances Lakers
Dryden leads best-of-seven series 2-0
Game 1: Dryden 7 Fort Frances 2
Game 2: Dryden 5 Fort Frances 2
Game 3: Tuesday, April 3 @ Fort Frances 7:30 p.m. CT (Ice for Kids Arena)
Game 4: Thursday, April 5 @ Fort Frances 7:30 p.m. CT (Ice for Kids Arena)
Game 5*: Sunday, April 8 @ Dryden 4 p.m. CT (Memorial Arena)
Game 6*: Monday, April 9 @ Fort Frances 7:30 p.m. CT (Ice for Kids Arena)
Game 7*: Wednesday, April 11 @ Dryden 7:30 p.m. CT (Memorial Arena)
*- if necessary
Photo credit: Chris Marchand, Dryden Observer