RED LAKE, Ont. – The Kam River Fighting Walleye weren’t about to give up their undefeated record without a fight.
A whirlwind finish on Friday night on the road in Red Lake kept them out of the loss column for the firsth straight night to start the 2022-23 campaign.
The Fighting Walleye score four goals in a 3:04-second, third-period span to rally back from four goals down late in the final stanza, and Holden Woodcroft potted the overtime winner 2:29 into the extra frame to earn Kam River a stunning 6-5 win over the defending champion Miners.
Red Lake, leading 5-1 after Evan Maslack scored his first of the season at 7:46 of the third, appeared to be well on their way to even their record at 3-3-0.
But Euan Morrison, Anthony Oviedo, Ethan Lang and Carson Gorst each found a way to put the puck past Red Lake goaltender Jaxson Taupert over the course of 184 seconds to send the game to overtime.
Woodcroft started the comeback in earnest midway through the second with his first of two on the night, the Miners leading 3-0 at the time thanks to goals by Kyle Schechtel, Jacob Lamoureux and Aaron Bertschinger.
The Fighting Walleye improved to 5-0-0 with the win and will take on Red Lake in a Saturday rematch at the Cochenour Arena.
Thunder Bay 5, Sioux Lookout 3: Edison Weeks scored twice as the North Stars finally found their way into the win column after four games. Dimitris Trahiotis also had a pair of goals and Julian Rutland added a single for the visiting Stars. Tyler Decoff, Owen Riffel and Logan James had the expansion Bombers goals. Conner Lemieux made 37 saves for Thunder Bay, while Jake Manners stopped 16 of the 21 shots he faced. It was the first loss for Sioux Lookout in three outings.
Dryden 9, Fort Frances 2: Jordan Pfoh and Easton DeBray had two goals apiece and Bryce Benfield and Ryland Maier added four assists each as the Ice Dogs cruised to victory over the Lakers. Brandon Rosetti had a goal and an assist for Fort Frances.
