THUNDER BAY – The battle for third place in the Superior International Junior Hockey League continues.
The Thunder Bay North Stars battled back on Friday night from a 3-1 deficit, scoring three straight to take a 4-3 lead over the Fort Frances Lakers, but had to settle for a 4-4 overtime tie.
The single point is all that separates the Stars from the fourth-place Sioux Lookout Bombers, who downed the Red Lake Miners 4-1 on Friday night.
Both teams have a single game to go, the Stars hosting the top-ranked Dryden Ice Dogs and the Bombers facing a rematch against the Miners.
A win by the North Stars would clinch the No. 3 seed heading into the postseason.
Gunnar Simon and Tie Schumaker scored two minutes apart in the opening four minutes of Friday night’s game to give the Lakers an early 2-0 advantage
Chance Loke got one back for the Stars, who trailed 2-1 after 20 minutes.
The Lakers Jack Wood re-established a two-goal Fort Frances lead, beating Liam Letters at 11:16 of the second. But Evan Simieoni potted his 21st of the season with 3:19 to go in the middle stanza to cut the Lakers lead to once for the second time in the game.
Jamieson Franz tied things up 9:22 into the third an Jarred Feist put the North Stars in front with 5:57 to go in regulation.
The lead was short-lived.
Fort Frances’ Carter Deschamps sent the game to overtime at the 16-minute mark. Neither team was able to score in the extra period.
The North Stars was 3-for-5 on the power play, the Lakers 0-for-5. Fort Frances outshot Thunder Bay 39-34.
Sioux Lookout 4, Red Lake 1: Owen Riffel had a goal and two assists and Owen Cotter scored once and picked up an assist to lead the Bombers to the win. Ryan Heuser had the Miners tally.
Kam River 9, Ironwood 4: Daxton Lang had two goals and two assists and Kaden Goodwin and Jett Mintenko had a goal and three assists each to lead the Fighting Walleye to a lopsided road win. Kam River is locked into the second seed heading into the playoffs.
