By Tanner Schafer
Fort Frances, ON – Fort Frances was able to snap a 14-game losing streak with a comeback victory over the Wisconsin Lumberjacks in a shootout on Friday Night.
Just over halfway through the first period Simon Davidson would start off the scoring for the Lumberjacks with an unassisted goal. Late period goals by both teams would make it 2-1. Jack Wood evened up the game with a shorthanded goal assisted by Dylan Wedword. Dylan Jouppi scored in the last 30 seconds with an assist going to fellow defensemen Zach Carson. Wisconsin would make it a 3-1 lead as Davidson would net his 2nd of the game 2 and a half minutes into the 2nd period, Ryder McMillen would pick up the lone assist. 5 minutes later it looked as though things might get out of hand as Brandon McDonald picked up a power play tally for the Lumberjacks assisted by Jouppi and McMillen to make it 4-1. But from that point the comeback was on with Fort Frances scoring 2 goals in the later stages of the 2nd period. The first was from Ian Snooks on the power play assisted by Brady Krentz and Ryker Watt, the second was also a power play marker scored by Watt assisted by Clark Scaddan.
Watt would score his 2nd straight goal to open the scoring in the 3rd period and tie the game at 4. The Lumberjacks would take their last lead of the night a minute later on an unassisted goal from Dillon Phillips. With just over 5 minutes left Bo Gartzke would get his 1st goal in a Lakers sweater to tie the game at 5-5.
With no team able to find the winner in overtime the game would head to a shootout. After 3 shots each, only Krentz and McMillen were successful, sending it to sudden death. Kevin Bond would beat McMillen in the first half of the fourth round and Ryan Tanner would stop Phillips for a Fort Frances win. Kyler Lowden came on in relief of Emmett Doherty in net for the Lumberjacks picking up the loss. Tanner would stop 26 of 31 in a winning effort. The teams will play again on Saturday night.