OLIVER PAIPOONGE – There’s still plenty of time left in the SIJHL regular season, but the Kam River Fighting Walleye are already threatening to run away with top spot in the seven-team circuit.
Six different scorers lit the red lamp on Friday night as the Fighting Walleye doubled up the second-place Dryden Ice Dogs 6-3 to open a 10-point lead, while capturing their seventh straight victory.
Riley Borody, Brodie McLeod and Josh Pufahl staked Kam River to a 3-1 lead after the opening period at the Norwest Arena.
Defenceman Jack Cook upped the lead to three 17 seconds into the second, his third goal in his past two games.
The Ice Dogs (18-9-1) got two back before the period was out, Landen Stromme beating Eric Vanska at 8:56 of the middle frame, his 15th of the year, and Max Roby notching his 11th at 16:52.
It was all Kam River in the third.
Noah Kramps scored at 4:07 to restored a two-gal lead and Ethan Lang ended things with an empty netter with 72 seconds left in regulation.
Vanska made 37 stops to pick up the win, while Eric Clark was riddled with 39 shots on the night, saving 34 of them.
Thunder Bay 4, Sioux Lookout 3 (OT): Nikokas Campbell made an immediate impact in his return to the Thunder Bay North Stars, scoring the equalizer early in the third and assisting on Edison Weeks overtime winner 36 seconds into the extra frame. Nolan Desjardins and Weeks, with his first of two on the night, had the other North Star markers. Connor Burke scored a pair and Ty Bahm added a single for Sioux Lookout, who led 3-2 after 40 minutes. Conner Lemieux made 38 saves to earn the win in nets for Thunder Bay (14-9-4). The Bombers remained in third at 17-11-1.
