FORT FRANCES, Ont. – Owen Lee’s second goal of the game, during a power play, fifteen minutes into the third period proved to be the game-winner as the Fort Frances Lakers went on to defeat the Thief River Falls Norskies 6-4 in a back and forth Superior International Junior Hockey League clash Saturday at Ice for Kids Arena.
Each side would score once in the opening frame with Anthony Antonelli putting the Lakers on the board with his first of the season at 7:25 before Alec Daman countered for the Norskies during a man advantage before the frame was complete.
Action in the middle stanza saw Fort Frances strike twice on markers from Brett Hahkala and MacKenzie Flett only to see Thief River Falls answer late off the sticks of Bryce Johnson, at even strength, and Jake Eischen, via the power pla,y to knot the affair at 3-3 after 40 minutes.
Up a skater in the third, Lee notched his first as a member of the Lakers at 6:08, but the Norskies answered once again on a Daman effort at 11:04.
Lee would break the tie for good however with 4:56 left in regulation while teammate Nick Lucas added another on the next shift for Fort Frances to round out the scoring.
Thief River Falls did hold the edge in shots on goal on the night by a 42-37 margin with Jacob Gnidziejko picking up the win for the Lakers while Fletcher Bolda suffered the loss.
Photo credit: Clint Bruyere