SUPERIOR INTERNATIONAL JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
SIJHL MEDIA UPDATE
Release Date: Saturday, Jan. 7, 2017
Norskies rally to edge Miners in shootout
RED LAKE FALLS, Minn. – The Thief River Falls Norskies rode the strength of a three-goal, third period comeback to force overtime before eventually completing the rally and win 6-5 in a shootout over the English River Miners in a Superior International Junior Hockey League neutral site affair Saturday at Cardin-Hunt Arena in Red Lake Falls, Minn.
Thief River Falls opened the scoring just past the 14-minute mark of the first thanks to Alec Daman only to see English River strike three times before the frame was complete on markers from Austin Kuhn, Kole Comin and Dwayne Auger.
The Miners’ Kuhn and Comin tacked on additional markers in the second stanza to go up 5-1 before Connor Smith struck with 47 seconds left in the session to start the comeback.
It was all Norksies in the third as they scored three times to force OT.
Smith’s second of the night during a Thief River Falls power play at 4:08 made it 5-3 while Blair Lindholm brought them to within one at 5:24.
The Norskies’ Smith then tied it with third of the night as his hat trick forced OT with 10:55 remaining in regulation.
After a three skaters aside five-minute extra session it went to the shootout to determine a winner.
Smith struck again for Thief River Falls to counter a Spencer Gladue effort to help send it to a fourth round of shooters.
There Cody Aarvig completed the comeback to help the Norskies prevail.
Kross Bratten made 16 stops in just over 26 minutes of relief to pick up the win replacing Ryan Buttazzoni, who allowed the five against.
Spencer Eschyschyn faced 46 shots through regulation and saved two of four in the shootout in defeat for English River.