Cochenour, ON — October 3, 2026 — The Red Lake Miners delivered a gritty, opportunistic performance on home ice Saturday night, defeating the Dryden GM Ice Dogs 5–3 in front of an energized crowd at Cochenour Arena.
Red Lake struck first at 3:30 of the opening period when Hayden Seib scored unassisted to give the Miners an early 1–0 lead. Dryden responded with steady pressure and capitalized on their lone power‑play opportunity of the night. At 15:00, Ryder Marks buried a rebound on the player advantage, assisted by Baden Pazdzierski, sending the teams into the first intermission tied 1–1.
The Miners took control in the second period. At 8:36, Cole Blakeley finished off a clean passing sequence from Mathias Sibilleau and Tyler Kendall to put Red Lake ahead 2–1. Dryden answered at 12:29, but Red Lake reclaimed the lead on another power‑play marker. Seib scored his second of the night at 16:35, set up by Jakob Boekelder and Luca Laforges, giving the Miners a 3–2 advantage heading into the third.
Early in the 3rd period, Red Lake delivered a momentum‑shifting moment. With the Ice Dogs on the power play, Hudson Gagne broke free and scored shorthanded at 1:33, extending the Miners’ lead to 4–2. Dryden battled back with a goal from Adam Zamecnik at 5:10, but Red Lake’s defensive structure held firm. Gagne sealed the win with his second of the night, an empty‑net shorthanded goal at 19:46.
Goaltender Zach Johnson was the story of the night, turning aside 52 of 55 shots in a standout performance that kept Red Lake in control despite being outshot 55–19. The Miners made the most of their chances, going 1‑for‑1 on the power play and scoring two shorthanded goals in a disciplined, opportunistic effort. Dryden was 1-for-7 on power play opportunities during this matchup.
The victory improves Red Lake’s record to 3‑3‑0‑0, while Dryden falls to 3‑2‑0‑0. The Miners are back on the road October 9 to battle the Dryden GM Ice Dogs.
