By Gary Moskalyk
Tyler Jordan scored two, notching the game winner at 7:11 of the third on a Thunder Bay powerplay, to snap a 4-4 tie as the North Stars extended their unbeaten streak to 10 with a 5-4 win over Sioux Lookout before a school day crowd of 3,510 at Fort William Gardens.
The win put Thunder Bay into a three-way second-place tie with the Bombers and Dryden with 21 points each–one behind Kam River.
Sioux Lookout held first period leads of 2-0 and 3-1. Tait Howell got them on the board at 47 seconds. Owen Riffel got his 14th on a Bomber powerplay at 5:09. Jordan cracked Jack Osmond’s armor at 8:09 before Dayvan Bull regained the two-goal lead with a backhand shot that squeaked through Keenan Marks’ pads at 9:39.
Thunder Bay scored three of the four second period goals to tie the game. Easton Mikus’ one-timer at 1:42 and EJ Paddington’s wrap-around at 11:17 knotted the score at three-all. Nolan Palmer’s floater from the point eluded Marks to give the Bombers a one-goal lead. Drew Caddo fed a wide open Easton Glousher who buried his first of the season with nine seconds left in the frame to tie it.
Jordan scored the lone third period marker for his 9th in 10 games. He cleaned up a rebound in Jack Osmond’s crease for his league-leading 4th game winning goal of the campaign.
Marks secured his 7th win with a 36-save effort, while Osmond stopped 37 of 42 in a losing cause. Sioux Lookout carried the play in the first but Thunder Bay held a 21-11 advantage in the third. Sioux Lookout’s Alex Lucas fell awkwardly into the boards and had to be helped off the ice early in the third. Thunder Bay took a late penalty and were down six men to four with Osmond pulled but held steady.
Thunder Bay was 1-3 on the powerplay while Sioux Lookout made good on one of six chances. Thunder Bay took eight minor penalties to Sioux Lookout’s five.
Mikus added an assist, Dimitri Trahiotis had three helpers and Caddo two in a winning cause. Palmer was Sioux Lookout’s lone two-point man.
The Bombers head off to Norwest Arena to face the Walleye for two Friday and Saturday, while Thunder Bay ventures to Vermillion Bay for Saturday/Sunday matches against the Kenora Islanders at Woodland Arena.