By Tanner Schafer
Spooner, WI – The Dryden GM Ice Dogs were able to ride a hot power play to secure a come from behind win and a 3 game sweep of the Wisconsin Lumberjacks over the weekend.
Wisconsin started the game at a rapid pace sprinting out to a 3-0 lead in the first 7 minutes of the game. Marshall Thomas opened the scoring 4 minutes in with his 2nd goal of the season. 2 and a half minutes later it was Dillon Phillips scoring his 7th to make it a 2-0 Lumberjack lead. And at the 7 minute mark Zach Johnson buried his 9th of the campaign to give the Lumberjacks control of the game. After the 3rd goal allowed Liam Vanderkooi was pulled from the Dryden GM goal in favor of Ewan Soutar. Max Roby would score on the power play shortly after to make it a 3-1 deficit. The rest of the period would go by without any other goals recorded. Just before the halfway point of the 2nd period Dryden would score their 2nd power play goal of the night, this one off the stick of McLaren Paulsen. Max Roby would add an unassisted goal to the scoresheet and the game headed to the 3rd period tied at 3. Wisconsin would quickly jump back into the lead as Kaden Postal scored unassisted 52 seconds into the final frame. Dryden would answer back after a minute and a half on Paulsen’s 2nd goal of the night. The game winner would come at the halfway point of the period, a power play goal for Eli Antoine. The Ice Dogs would hold on to win 5-4
Dryden was 3 of 6 on the power play, a clear difference maker as Wisconsin was 0 of 3. Soutar stopped 38 of 39 in a winning effort. Rylan Freshwater was in goal for the Lumberjacks stopping 44 of 49. Shots on the scoreboard were nearly identical as Dryden held a slim edge at 49-48 although it felt as Dryden consistently controlled the pace of play. Next weekend Wisconsin will host Kenora, and Dryden will be in Kam River.
1st Star – Eli Antoine, 1 Goal 1 Assist
2nd Star – Dillon Phillips, 1 Goal 1 Assist
3rd Star – Ryan Kayser , 2 Assists