THUNDER BAY, Ont. – Troy Sherman tallied twice to help the Thunder Bay North Stars double up the Minnesota Iron Rangers 6-3 Wednesday night in Superior International Junior Hockey League match-up at the Fort William Gardens.
Thunder Bay got off to a good start in the contest securing a 2-0 lead after one period of play.
Charlie Corness fired one from the right side that beat Minnesota starter Jackson Nelson five minutes into the first period while Alexander Erwin made a crisp cross-ice pass to an open Carson Smith who collected his first SIJHL tally at 15:15.
Minnesota battled back early in the middle stanza thanks to Mark Sanchez who wired one from the left circle that flew by Thunder Bay netminder Brandon Bodnar.
The Iron Rangers then drew level midway through the session as the capitalized on a turnover by a Thunder Bay defender then saw Clayton Brown and Sanchez work a give-and-go to perfection with Brown finishing it off.
A North Stars power play allowed them to retake the lead at 11:57 thanks to a Brad Thrower cross-crease pass that gave Sherman a quick one-timer into the open side to make it 3-2 after two.
Thunder Bay restored their two-tally cushion three and a half minutes into the final frame as Dillon Ward banged in the rebound off a Joe Newhouse right point shot for the eventual game-winner.
Thrower added to the North Stars lead later as he swiped the puck off a Minnesota player and ripped in a shorthanded effort to make it 5-2 before Sherman went top shelf, short side, with 7:11 to go.
The Iron Rangers got one back, via the power play, in the final minute from Brown to round out the scoring on the night.
Bodnar made 20 stops to pick up the victory and Nelson faced 40 shots in defeat.
With the result Thunder Bay improved to 2-0 early in the season while Minnesota slipped to 0-2.
Photo credit: Leith Dunick, tbnewswatch.com