SUPERIOR INTERNATIONAL JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
SIJHL MEDIA UPDATE
Release Date: Wednesday, April 5, 2017
Photo credit: Patrick Boucha
Miners’ strike late to take Game 3 vs. North Stars
COCHENOUR, Ont. – A redirection by Austin Kuhn off a Zac Schlitt point shot with 3:57 remaining proved to be the game-winner as the English River Miners defeated the Thunder Bay North Stars 5-2 Wednesday in Game 3 of their Superior International Junior Hockey League semifinal series at Cochenour Arena.
English River now leads the best-of-seven affair 2-1 heading into Game 4 Thursday back at Cochenour Arena at 7:30 p.m.
It didn’t take the Miners long to strike in this one either as Jamie Driedger finished off a Kuhn feed just 14 seconds into the contest.
Thunder Bay countered with the equalizer midway through the session as Aaron Wesley-Chisel pinched in from the point and backhanded in a rebound of a Nicholas Nigro attempt.
English River went back on top at 11:12 of the second stanza as Dante Raposo struck shorthanded to put the home side up by one after 40 minutes.
The North Stars levelled the proceedings once again with 7:23 remaining in regulation as John Parrott left a nice back pass for Avery Siau, who snapped a shot that slipped through Michael Lenko from the high slot to knot the affair at 2-2.
That set the stage for the eventual game-winner as Schlitt fired a shot from the point that was credited to Kuhn on a redirection.
Jared Janke was then sent in on a breakaway just over a minute later as he almost fell, regained his balance, before deking right and putting an insurance marker past Nathaniel Dupuis in the Thunder Bay net.
The North Stars then pulled their goaltender in favour of an extra attacker, but Driedger iced it with an empty netter at 17:48 to round out the night’s scoring.
Lenko made 30 saves to record the win while Dupuis faced 32 attempts in defeat for Thunder Bay.
SIJHL semifinal (Series C)
No. 2 Thunder Bay North Stars vs. No. 3 English River Miners
English River leads best-of-seven series 2-1
Game 1: English River 5 Thunder Bay 3
Game 2: Thunder Bay 9 English River 2
Game 3: English River 5 Thunder Bay 2
Game 4: Thursday, April 6 @ English River 7:30 p.m. (Cochenour Arena)
Game 5: Saturday, April 8 @ Thunder Bay 7:30 p.m. (Fort William Gardens)
Game 6*: Monday, April 10 @ English River 7:30 p.m. (Cochenour Arena)
Game 7*: Wednesday, April 12 @ Thunder Bay 7:30 p.m. (Fort William Gardens)
*-if necessary