THUNDER BAY — An electric crowd deserves an even more electric finish.
Cue Tyler Jordan.
The Thunder Bay North Stars forward sent 3,510 school children, teachers and volunteers home happy on Thursday afternoon, scoring the game-winner at 7:11 of the third period to help the Stars complete a remarkable comeback from an early 3-1 deficit and edge the visiting Sioux Lookout Bombers 5-4.
What a way to finish, said Jordan, who has nine goals in 10 games since arriving in Thunder Bay two weeks after the 2023-24 season began.
“We were a little nervous, for sure,” the Minnesota native said about the team’s slow start.
“It was really loud in here and we weren’t used to that … It’s not the spot we wanted to be in. The boys came in the locker room. We regrouped and came out. We knew we needed to be better. At the end of the day, we got one, got two from our top line and that’s what we needed to get that boost to push through.”
Easton Mikus started the comeback bid 1:42 in the second, cutting Sioux Lookout’s lead from 3-1 to 3-2. Linemate E.J. Paddington evened the score 10 minutes later wrapping the puck around the net and past Sioux Lookout netminder Jack Osmond.
Nolan Palmer gave the Bombers a 4-3 lead late in the period, but with less than 10 seconds to go in the second, Easton Glousher picked the perfect time to net his first goal of the season, evening the score at four.
The Stars, who have won all four Fort William Gardens contests against the Bombers this season, dominated in the third, outshooting Sioux Lookout 21-11. Osmond stood tall on all but one of them, but had no chance to stop Jordan from firing what proved to be the game-winner past him early in the final stanza.
North Stars forward Dimitri Trahiotis, who had three helpers on the afternoon, saved his best for last, spotting a wide-open Jordan standing to Orchard’s left. A quick pass found his teammate and in the blink of an eye the puck was in and Jordan was pumping his fists in the air.
“I was fortunate enough (the pass) was right by my face. I just grabbed it, threw it down and tapped it in. I was in the right spot at the right time,” Jordan said.
Things weren’t looking good after 20 minutes of play.
Tait Howell opened the scoring on Thunder Bay goaltender Keenan Marks just 47 seconds after the opening faceoff, the puck rebounding off the end glass and right to the waiting Bombers forward. Owen Riffel, now tied for the Superior International Junior Hockey League lead with Mikus at 14 goals, doubled the lead at 5:06.
Jordan got one back for Thunder Bay, completing a pretty three-way passing play, Cohen Tangedal spinning and firing a backhand pass to Jordan out in front of Orchard. But the Bombers restored their two-goal lead on a Dayvan Ball tally.
Interim coach Rob DeGagne Jr., filling in for his father, serving the second of a two-game suspension handed out after one of his players got into a fight last Friday night in Wisconsin, said it was an unreal atmosphere and easy to get the players up for the game – eventually.
“I think the boys were pumped up. I think they might have been a little bit nervous at the start, but it was a lot of fun and definitely helped us get going,” DeGagne Jr. said.
The Stars (10-4-1) moved into a three-way tie for second place in the SIJHL standings with the Bombers (10-4-1) and Dryden Ice Dogs (10-5-1).
Thunder Bay travels to Kenora for games on Saturday and Sunday. Sioux Lookout remains in the Thunder Bay area for games against the Kam River Fighting Walleye on Friday and Saturday at the Norwest Arena.
