The Fort Frances Lakers made their way up the 502 and then up the 105 to the Cochenour Arena to take on the Red Lake Miners in the Miners first home game of the 2022-23 SIJHL season. Commissioner Darrin Nicholas was on hand for a pre game presentation of the 2021-22 SIJHL Championship banner to the returning players from the Miners championship team. Ryan Tanner would start in net for the Lakers while Jaxson Taupert would make his first start at the Cochenour Arena since his Game 6 victory over the Kam River Fighting Walleye to win the SIJHL Championship.
Both teams would take some time to get the flow going in the first period. The Miners would take an early edge with pressure but Tanner was up to the task. Miners would get on the scoreboard first when Jacob Lamoureux would score his first goal at the Cochenour Arena and second of the season at 11:27 for a 1-0 lead. There would be no penalties in the period and the Miners would take the 1-0 lead into the intermission. Shots on goal in the period Miners 14 Lakers 6.
Second period action would see former Miner Brandon Rossetti tie the game up at 1 when he beat Taupert on the power play at 8:24. Colton Crysler would score his first at the Cochenour Arena on a nice feed from R.J Dickie at 15:45 for a 2-1 lead. Ryan Tanner stood his ground to keep the game at 2-1 stopping 11 shots in the period. Shots on goal after 40 minutes favoured the Miners 26-18.
Carter Albrecht opened up third period notching his first of the season at 10:19 putting a rebound past Tanner on the power play. R.J. Dickie made it 4-1 at 17:23 with a second power play marker for his second of the season. The Lakers didn’t get the memo that the 3 goal lead meant the game was over. Clark Scaddan scored his first of the year at 18:14 to make it 4-2. After a quick time out the Lakers would make it a one goal game when Rossetti scored his second of the game to make it 4-3 at 19:11. Jaxson Taupert would shut down the Lakers for the rest of the game to secure the Miners first win of the season. Shots on goal in the third period Miners 21 Lakers 5.
Congratulations to Kevin Walker for picking up his first win as a Jr. A head coach.