SUPERIOR INTERNATIONAL JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
SIJHL MEDIA UPDATE
Release Date: Thursday, Sept. 17, 2015
SIJHL team previews: Fort Frances Lakers
THUNDER BAY, Ont. – The top team in the Superior International Junior Hockey League the past two seasons has been the Fort Frances Lakers.
Coming off back-to-back Bill Salonen Cup SIJHL championships, the Lakers are poised to try for a three-peat.
Under CCM first team all-star head coach and general manager Wayne Strachan, Fort Frances comes into the 2015-16 campaign full of optimism after being the SIJHL’s best club the past couple years.
They also enter the season rated 12th in the Canadian Junior Hockey League preseason rankings.
The following is a look at some of the names to watch for on the Fort Frances Lakers:
TEAM: Fort Frances Lakers
HEAD COACH/GM: Wayne Strachan
NOTABLE RETURNEES
DYLAN ROBERTSON, FORWARD: The 20-year-old from Atlanta, Georgia was a point-per-game man for the Lakers last season picking up 39 in as many outings on 16 goals and 23 assists after joining the club last Nov. 1.
“Dylan is a player that you may not notice all the time on the ice, but at the end of the game you look on the score sheet and he is active in producing points to help his team,” stated Fort Frances coach and GM Wayne Strachan.
“He is efficient, has good hockey IQ and can be relied on as a leader,” added Strachan.
“We hope Dylan can return with the intensity he had at the end of last season and help the team have success. He scored many big goals for us down the stretch. The one goal that sticks out in my mind came 16 seconds after Toronto came within one of us in the Dudley-Hewitt Cup semifinals to clinch the victory.”
NICK MINERVA, DEFENCE: Back to help anchor the Lakers’ defensive corps is blueliner Minerva.
The 19-year-old from Monroe, N.J., also chipped in offensively with 26 points in 39 games on 10 tallies and 16 helpers.
“Nick had a strong year after joining the team last season,” offered the Lakers coach and GM.
“He is effective in both ends of the ice and is a strong skater, which puts him in the right position, both defensively and offensively. Nick will be looked at to anchor our defensive corps and work hard to improve his development further.”
PIERCE DUSHENKO, GOALTENDER: Back to mind the nets for Fort Frances is the 20-year-old from Coquitlam, B.C.
He had a solid 11-2-0 record between the pipes last season and was also 2-1 at the Dudley-Hewitt Cup with a .916 save percentage.
“Pierce was called upon in the most important game of our season last year in relief and led us to the championship game of the Dudley-Hewitt Cup,” offered Strachan.
“In that game he gave us a chance to win and we will look at Pierce to be our back bone in the nets. He has the capability to be a strong netminder and if he stays focused, gets prepared and plays to his level he should have a strong season.”
COLTON SPICER, FORWARD: The veteran forward from Fort Frances returns for his fifth season in junior hockey.
He scored 15 times in 2014-15, including seven on the power play and added 18 assists along the way.
“Colton is a player who could make great strides, if he wants to, this season,” provided Strachan.
“He has so much ability and if he applies himself and dedicates himself to working hard this season he could play an extremely big part in our team’s success,” Strachan states.
“He is big, strong and skilled and can find the back of the net. We need him to be good if we are going to reach our goals this season as a team. Colton came flying out of the gates last year in his first 12 games he had 22 points.”
NOTABLE NEWCOMERS
DUSTIN DEUGAU, DEFENCE: Picked up from Cochrane of the NOJHL, the 19-year-old, who hails from Calgary, Alta., is expected the bolster the Lakers’ back end.
“We acquired Dustin from the Cochrane Crunch of the NOJHL this past summer and he has come in and played some pretty good hockey through the pre-season,” said Strachan.
“We will look for Dustin to play in all situations and especially be a strong defender against the SIJHL’s best forwards this season,” added the multi SIJHL coach of the year award recipient when discussing Deugau.
“Dustin plays a simple safe game and defends well. We look forward to having Dustin with us and see how he progresses in our program this season.”
ANDREW WILLNER, FORWARD: A ’95 birthdate, Willner comes to the SIJHL after a strong campaign with the Hudson Crusaders of the Minnesota Junior Hockey League where he notched 35 goals in as many contests while collecting just under two points-per-game with 64 in total.
“Andrew comes in after having a very successful year in the MNJHL last year,” provided Strachan.
“He is a heads-up player with good speed and a solid skill base. Andrew will play on our top line and hopefully can contribute at a pace similar to last season. We will look for him to bring his experience at the junior level to our club and help lead as a 20-year-old. He has goals and he works hard to achieve them.”
CHRISTIAN RIPLEY, FORWARD: Another new recruit to Fort Frances from Hudson of the MNJHL is the 20-year-old Ripley, who is from Duluth, Minn.
A set-up man he doled out 44 assists in 2014-15 and also added 10 tallies.
“Christian is a player we coveted since last season,” Strachan states.
“He has great speed and creates offense with that speed and his skill set. He was a teammate of Willner’s last year and had impressive numbers as well for his rookie campaign at the junior level. Like Willner he will be relied on to help our offense click and help the team have success.”
QUOTABLE
“We have a good base of players to work with early in the season and we will build in the necessary areas to reach our goals come the end of the year.” – Wayne Strachan, Head Coach/GM