By James Brohm
Sioux Lookout, ON – The second half of the Battle of 72 home-and home picked up right where last night’s game ended. The game was a high-energy, low-scoring affair with plenty of hits and stingy goaltending.
The scoreless first period saw each team with a 5-3 power play, but neither was able to capitalize. The teams would head to the locker rooms knotted at zeros.
Period number two was lively as well, with a total of 12 rule infractions assessed by referees, including fighting ejections for Sioux Lookout’s Ty Bahm and Dryden’s Jack Cullen. The Ice Dogs would open up the scoring a 11:29 with a powerplay goal by their Captain, Brady Frattinger.
The tides would turn when Tyler Decoff put a shot on net from outside the zone that handcuffed Dryden netminder, Eric Clark. The goal would be waved off on account of an offside player, but it was enough to bring the crowd and Bombers’ bench to their feet and inject some life into the Hangar. Less than 30 seconds later the Bombers scored on a clean face-off win by Graeme Patrick to Connor Burke, back to Tyler Decoff and across to Nolan Palmer who ripped a point shot past Clark. The goal scored just seconds into a Bombers’ power play would even the score at 1-1.
The remainder of the third period would be much more disciplined by both teams as neither wanted to give the other a man advantage. It featured lots of end-to-end action but both goaltenders stood tall to force overtime.
The teams lined up for the first 3 on 3 overtime period between them this season. One minute into OT, Graeme Patrick jumped off the bench on a line change and picked up loose puck near the Ice Dog’s blue line. He skated right into the slot and potted a backhand shot over the blocker of Eric Clark.
Jake Manners picks up his 12th win on the season on a yet another standout performance in goal for the Bombers and Eric Clark was dealt his first overtime loss of the campaign. The Ice Dogs remain in second place going into the Christmas break, picking up a single point on the night. The Bombers take sole possession of third place and inch closer the Ice Dogs with two points for the win. Both teams are off until January 6th when the Bombers will host the Fort Frances Lakers for the first time and the Ice Dogs will host the Thunder Bay North Stars.