SIOUX LOOKOUT – The hottest team in the Superior International Junior Hockey League showed no signs of slowing down on Friday night.
The Sioux Lookout Bombers captured their 11th straight triumph, riding a two-goal, one-assist performance by Ty Kirk, and cruised to a 7-2 home-ice win over the expansion Kenora Islanders, a team going in the other directions, with 24 consecutive defeats.
Connor Burke, Rylan Leroux, Jonah Smith, Blake Burth and Tait Howell also scored for the Bombers (21-5-2), who maintained a slim one-point lead over the Kam River Fighting Walleye, who have a pair of games in hand.
Aaron Bertschinger and Chance Traverse scored for the Islanders, the only two of 60 shots fired at Sioux Lookout goaltender Matthew Spencer-Dahl to light the lamp.
Connor Dunham-Fox took the loss.
Thunder Bay 5, Fort Frances 3: Edison Weeks had a goal and two helpers to lead the North Stars to the win and past Dryden into fourth place. Easton Mikus, with his 20th goal of the season, Alex Remenda, Beau Helmeczi and Connor Larrett also scored for the visiting North Stars (17-9-3). Clark Scaddan and Brady Krantz replied for Fort Frances (5-18-3).
Kam River 8, Wisconsin 2: Max Wright scored twice and added an assist as the Fighting Walleye kept pace with Sioux Lookout with a lopsided win. Carter Nailen and Jeremy Dunmore each had a goal and an assist. Collin Baker and Marhsall Thomas had the Lumberjacks tallies.
Red Lake 5, Dryden 2: Five different goal scorers put pucks past Dryden goaltender Ewan Souter to earn the Miners a win coming out of the Christmas break. Noah Tenney and Nathan Dann staked Red Lake to a 2-0 lead after one, with Gabe Tanton adding a third goal in the second. Dryden’s Stanislav Bolarchuk and Ben Coathan traded goals with Red Lake’s Preston Tauter and Blaker Hiltermann, the latter’s going into the empty net.
