Bombers Soar to Third Place
By James Brohm
Sioux Lookout, ON – After a fairly flat game Thursday night against the Thunder Bay North Stars, the Sioux Lookout Bombers came into tonight’s with much more energy and enthusiasm. The Lumberjacks also came out swinging and put quite a bit of offensive pressure on the home team early on. The Bombers weathered the storm well and turned the tide with the game’s first goal by Alex Lucas at 6:27 of the first. Before the PA announcer had a chance to finish, Ty Lone deflected a Kalin Roy shot/pass 22 seconds later to take a 2-0 lead. Blake Burke added one more in the period on a puck centered by his twin brother, Connor.
The Bombers would keep their foot on the gas pedal to start the second period, Nathan Dann went 5-hole on Wisconsin goaltender Emmett Doherty at 2:43 on a beautiful feed from Owen Riffle. Wisconsin would solve Jake Manners just past the halfway mark of the second, Zach Johnson fooled Manners over the blocker for the Lumberjacks first goal at 9:57. The period ended with the Bombers up 4-1.
Just like the previous period, the Bombers got the jump on the Lumberjacks with an Owen Riffle goal on a Ty Bahm feed at 1:13. It was Deja vu all over again when the two connected again for the Bombers’ 6th goal at 13:33. Newly-acquired Mitchell Daines would score his first as a Bomber to compete the score sheet with just over 3 minutes left in the game. The final score was 7-1 for the home team.
The Sioux Lookout squad padded their PK stats by not allowing any goals on seven power plays attempts by Wisconsin.
Shots on goal favoured the Bombers with 45 on Emmett Doherty, who would do his best to keep his team in the game. At the other end of the ice, Jake Manners stood tall and came up with some key saves when called upon, stopping 36 of 37 shots.
With the Dryden GM Ice Dogs losing to the Red Lake Miners and the North Stars idle, the Bombers catapult in the standings all the way up to third place with 26 points on the season.
Both teams will suit up again tomorrow for the rematch at the Hangar.