RED LAKE, Ont. – Using the strength of a four-goal outburst in the first five minutes of the game, the Thunder Bay North Stars went on to defeat the Red Lake Miners 6-4 in Superior International Junior Hockey League play Saturday evening at Cochenour Arena.
After coming back to win in Red Lake Friday, Thunder Bay came out hard on this night beginning with Leeam Tivers first in the SIJHL 33 seconds in.
The North Stars kept coming and went up by a pair at 1:59 thanks to Jacob Antonnen’s 15th.
Not done there, the visitors saw Joel Willan make it 3-0 to spell a quick end to Red Lake starter Zach Willms’ night in favour of Samuel Gendron.
However, Jacob Brown greeted Gendron 40 seconds later for his 31st tally of the season to add to the cushion.
In the second, the Miners got markers from Morgan Venne and Shaye Sommerfeld to pull within two before Willan potted his second of the night to make it 5-2 Thunder Bay.
A shorthanded effort courtesy of Spencer Milne deep into the frame brough the hosts closer entering the third.
In the final frame, the North Stars’ Jett Leishman converted on the power play early before Milne rounded out the scoring at 3:33 for Red Lake.
Nikolas Campbell and Hunter Foreshew chipped in with three assists apiece in the Thunder Bay triumph.
Spencer McKay made 23 stops to collect the win.
Gendron suffered the defeat in long relief, handling 29 of 32 while Willms save two of five in four and a half minutes of work.
Photo credit: Patrick Boucha