By Gary Moskalyk
Thunder Bay, ON – Keenan Marks saved all 50 shots he faced to backstop the Thunder Bay North Stars to the next round of the SIJHL playoffs with a 6-0 shutout. Marks picked up his first playoff shutout, his second win of the playoffs, lowered his GAA to 1.00 and upped his save percentage to .978.
He was selected to start last night.
Edison Weeks scored at 1:29, Nolan Desjardins struck at 6:22, EJ Paddington sniped 38 seconds later and Nikolas Campbell went top shelf at 14:29 as the Stars opened up a 4-0 lead on Red Lake’s Jack Osmond.
Mason Wesley made it 5-0 at 17:34 of the second. All five North Stars scorers registered their third goals of the playoffs.
Dimitri Trahiotis tallied with 5:10 left in the third on a Stars’ powerplay for his first of the post-season.
Osmond faced 41 shots for Red Lake.
Trahiotis and Wesley also had assists for Thunder Bay.
The Stars advance to the next round against an opponent yet to be decided. Kam River and Dryden would be likely, but Sioux Lookout and Fort Frances are still in the running.
The reigning Bill Salonen champion Miners saw their season end in five games against the Stars.
Thunder Bay welcomed back captain Matthew Halushak and top-six forward Colby Feist. Red Lake was missing Gavin McIntosh.
Thunder Bay took 29 of 44 penalty minutes. A third period scrap between Easton Glousher of Thunder Bay and Aiden Corbett of Red Lake punctuated the action.
The game attracted 562 fans.