FORT FRANCES, Ont. – The Fort Frances Lakers got a pair of goals from Nick Minerva to help lead them to a 6-2 victory over the Thunder Bay North Stars Friday in Game 1 of their Superior International Junior Hockey League semfinal series at Ice for Kids Arena.
Game 2 of the best-of-seven set goes Saturday at 7:30 p.m. back in Fort Frances.
It was the visiting North Stars who notched the lone tally of the opening period as Daniel McKitrick connected on the power play at 9:23.
The Lakers used the man advantage to pull even seven minutes into the middle stanza as Dylan Kooner beat Thunder Bay starter Nathaniel Dupuis.
Fort Frances then tacked on efforts from Carter Chorney and Marco Romano to go up 3-1 before the North Stars got closer at 16:47 of the session with McKitrick’s second of the night.
Minerva answered that just over a minute later as the home side took a 4-2 lead into the third period.
The Lakers extended their lead 83 seconds in the final frame with Mason Meyer’s first of the of the postseason, then put the game away on Minerva’s second of the night, that came during a man advantage, at 12:30 to round out the evening’s scoring.
Nathan Park was solid in the Fort Frances net making 38 saves in picking up the win.
Dupuis faced 31 shots in defeat for Thunder Bay.
SIJHL SEMIFINAL SERIES A
No. 1 Fort Frances Lakers vs. No. 4 Thunder Bay North Stars
Fort Frances leads best-of-seven series 1-0
Game 1: Fort Frances 6 Thunder Bay 2
Game 2: Saturday, March 28 @ Fort Frances 7:30 p.m. (Ice for Kids Arena)
Game 3: Monday, March 30 @ Thunder Bay 7:30 p.m. (Fort William Gardens)
Game 4: Tuesday, March 31 @ Thunder Bay 7:30 p.m. (Fort William Gardens)
Game 5*: Thursday, April 2 @ Fort Frances 7:30 p.m. (Ice for Kids Arena)
Game 6*: Saturday, April 4 @ Thunder Bay 7:30 p.m. (Fort William Gardens)
Game 7*: Monday, April 6 @ Fort Frances 7:30 p.m. (Ice for Kids Arena)
*-if necessary