By James Brohm
Sioux Lookout, ON – It was a packed Hangar in Sioux Lookout, with 573 fans in attendance to take in game one of the semi-final series between Thunder Bay and Sioux Lookout. The two teams were very tight all year and the home team had won every single match up in regular season. The game featured six of the top 10 points-getters in the regular season as well, so fans knew they were in for a treat.
The game started off with a bang, literally. Bombers’ forward delivered a textbook open ice hit on Thunder Bay’s Dimitri Trahiotis about halfway into the first frame. That drew the ire of Easton Glousher, who retaliated on his teammates behalf. Glousher ended up with a double minor for unsportsmanlike conduct and roughing. The Bombers’ power play went right to work. Captain, Nolan Palmer got his fourth goal of the post season at 11:32, about a minute into the first minor. It was a well placed point shot, assisted by Blake Burke and Owen Riffel. The penalty clock was reset to two minutes and the power play continued. Owen Riffel slipped around his check on a 2 on 1 and Blake Burke driving wide, centred the puck right onto Riffel’s stick for the backdoor tap in. The home team was up 2-0 heading into the intermission.
Thunder Bay’s Alex Remenda got the visiting team on the board at 5:29 into the second period. He picked up a rebound in front of the Bombers’ net and slid it under the pad of Jack Osmond. It was a power play goal for the North Stars. The two teams battled back and forth with long stretches without any whistles and the period came to a close with the Bombers up 2-1.
Cobe Delaney restored the Bomber’s two goal lead at 3:44 into the third. In an unassuming, broken up play in the Thunder Bay zone, he turned and fired a quick shot over the blocker of North Stars’ netminder, Keenan Marks. Beau Helmeczi was able to get the North Stars within one again with an unassisted goal off the faceoff at 14:50 but the Bombers held on for a 3-2 win in game one of the best-of-seven series.
Thunder Bay put 32 shots on net and Sioux Lookout had 24 shots. The game’s third start was Nolan Palmer, who had the game’s first goal. Second star was Jack Osmond with a solid performance between the pipes. And the game’s first star went to Cobe Delaney who’s third period goal ended up being the game winner. The teams are back in action tonight (Saturday) for game two.