DRYDEN, Ontario – The Dryden Ice Dogs who had the Fort Frances Lakers in a strangle-hold 3-1 series lead were finally able to close the deal and eliminated the Lakers 4-1 in a very loud and sold-out Dryden Memorial Arena (aka The Dog Pound). The Dogs and Lakers being ultimate foes were playing for keeps, a Lakers win and they force a game seven, an Ice Dogs win and they move on to face the powerhouse Wisconsin Wilderness in the SIJHL final. The first period was uneventful with no score, but Josh Scott got a hooking penalty thirty two seconds into the game.
By the time the second period rolled around it was game on and the hate for each other came to the surface at 4:41 when the Ice Dogs drew first blood and scored their first goal of the game. The goal from a nice feed from Henry Vadnais to Len Pelletier who found a seam and got it to the stick of Thomas Greene who beat Lakers goalie Tyler Ampe.
The Lakers were able to get under the skin of the Dogs early and tried to draw a penalty which Dryden got for roughing after the penalty but the Lakers were also giving a penalty after Cody Hasbargen elbowed Cole Manning in the head. Both players went off at 5:26 Both teams were able to kill of the four on four and once the teams were back at full strength the Dogs, found themselves in big trouble when Austin Weih got a two-minute penalty for a hit to the head and a match 10:00 minute penalty followed by a game misconduct.
Tempers boiled over again as Dryden was given yet another penalty for roughing after the whistle and lost Ian Schachte for two minutes. The Dogs’ very strong penalty kill line did a great job at killing the penalty.
Both teams were playing borderline all game and the middle of the second was no different when the Lakers were finally given a penalty when Ryan Wildman got a slashing penalty at 13:46.
At 16:18 Dryden was given yet another penalty in the game when the lone goal scorer Thomas Greene was given an unsportsmanlike conduct, giving the Lakers a powerplay. Drydens penalty kill had been amazing thus far and Ben McClellan intended to keep it that way when he sent a great tape to tape pass to the stick of Jesse Linner who wired a blistering shot past Tyler Ampe for a great shorthanded goal, keeping the Dogs penalty kill perfect for the night.
The bad blood continued for the two teams when Morgan McNeil got a two minute penalty and a match two minutes for a nasty spear. The third period would be the longest twenty minutes for either team, twenty minutes between either a game seven or the Lakers going home and amazing goaltending by Ian Perrier who was working on a shutout.
The Dogs started the third on the power play and Dwight Lee scored on a great feed by Thomas Greene to put the Dogs up 3-0 and one step closer to winning the game and moving on to the finals. At 6:35 of the third Dryden found themselves in penalty trouble again when Henry Vadnais was giving a tripping penalty. The penalty didn’t matter much to Dwight Lee who got on the break away and netted his second goal of the game at 7:16.
Dryden’s Dallas Allaire sent the Lakers back to the power play at 9:10 for Drydens third roughing after the whistle penalty. But after two minutes the Ice Dogs perfect penalty-kill they were still perfect.
At 15:13 Cole Manning took a high sticking call and Drydens penalty kill looked to continue its dominance in a very busy night but this time at 15:32 Blake Boaz would feed Jace Baldwin who finally beat Ian Perrier to end the shut out. At 18:38 the Lakers goal scorer Jace Baldwin would take a slashing call, as the puck hit the ice Dryden’s Jesse Linner would get a hooking call at 18:39 of the third period. Here are some facts for Dryden has 28 minutes in penalties on ten penalties and Fort Frances only has twelve minutes in penalties on six infractions, the Ice Dogs for the third game in a row were outshot by the Lakers 46 to 34 a margin of twelve shots but were still able to win the game. The Ice Dogs will now move on to the SIJHL Final to face the Wisconsin Wilderness in a game yet to be scheduled but will likely start on the road in Wisconsin.
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