THUNDER BAY – The Sioux Lookout Bombers have the Thunder Bay North Stars' number this season.
The defending Superior International Junior Hockey League champions, who opened their title defence with a pair of home-ice wins over the North Stars, beat them for the third consecutive time this season on Friday night, edging their hosts 6-4 at Fort William Gardens.
Ironically, it was Garren Voisey, the Nunavut-born defender, who delivered the deciding blow, scoring the go-ahead goal 1:24 into the second, the power-play goal his third with the Bombers after being dealt away from Thunder Bay during training camp.
Voisey spent the past two seasons with the North Stars and said it was a great feeling putting the puck in the net against his old teammates.
“Obviously, I was nervous,” Voisey said. “I haven’t been here for a while. It felt good,” he said.
“I was pumped up. We had a pretty good two periods here and then the last period I kind of felt sloppy. But it was a good game.”
Voisey’s goal was just the tip of the iceberg, the Bombers peppering Laurette with shot after shot in the middle stanza, the Stars failing to clear the crease area with any effectiveness, leading to back-to-back-to-back Sioux Lookout tallies.
Ashton Cuvelier, Owen Riffel and Tait Howell scored in the span of less than four minutes as the Bombers (9-4-2) extended their undefeated streak to six games, with five wins and a tie over that span.
“The team played good in the second. We figured them out and I guess the team was ready for the second period,” Voisey said.
It was just the third regulation loss of the season for the North Stars (11-3-1).
The Stars opened the scoring just 91 seconds into the contest, when Matthew Lysak intercepted the puck at the Bombers blue line and marched in alone on Sioux Lookout goaltender Matthew Ofukany. Kaden Veller evened the score at the 11:14 mark of the opening period, firing a wrist shot from the slot that Laurette couldn’t catch up with. The Stars had a chance to take the lead late in the first, but Tyler Jordan fired wide on a penalty shot, awarded when a Bombers defender covered the puck in the crease in front of Ofukany with 1:47 to go in a period marred by penalties, including three misconducts.
Evan Simeon stopped the bleeding for the North Stars late in the second, but it was tough sledding from there on in.
Thunder Bay had an early power play in the third and couldn’t connect, the Bombers maintaining their three-goal lead.
The valiant comeback attempt continued in the third, when they added two more to close the gap to one.
Marcellus Francis drew Thunder Bay within two midway through the final period, firing his ninth of the season through Ofukany’s legs. Minutes later Simeoni potted his second of the night, and 10th of the season, burying a cross-ice pass from Beau Helmeczi with 7:10 to go in regulation.
The North Stars pulled Laurette with about two minutes to go, but were unable to find the back of the Bombers net with the man advantage and Riffel salted it away with an empty-netter, his second of the night and fourth of 2024-25.
Sioux Lookout out-shot their opponent 37-34.
The two teams will try it again on Saturday night at the Gardens. Game time is 7:30 p.m.
Dryden 8, Ironwood 3: Payton Hu scored twice to lead the Ice Dogs (12-2-1) into solo possession of first place. Carson Devine had a goal and two assists for Dryden. Jack Croghan had a goal and one assists for the Lumberjacks.
Red Lake 5, Kenora 0: Ethan Rau made 18 saves to help the Miners blank the Islanders. Sullivan Menard scored twice for Red Lake (6-8-0), who had lost three straight prior to the contest.
FIRST PERIOD
Scoring: 1. Thunder Bay, Lysak 5 (unassisted) 1:31. 2. Sioux Lookout, Veller 5 (Love, Orr) 11:14. Penalties: Jordan TB (roughing) 18:51.
SECOND PERIOD
Scoring: 3. Sioux Lookout, Voisey 3 (Lone, Howell) 1:24 pp. 4. Sioux Lookout, Cuvelier 2 (Veller, Lucas) 8:28 pp. 5. Sioux Lookout, Riffel 3 (unassisted) 10:14. 6. Sioux Lookout, Howell 6 (Veller, Kirk) 12:07. 7. Thunder Bay, Simeoni 9 (Helmeczi, Francis) 15:29 pp. Penalties: Bryson TB (holding) 1:07, Franz TB, (roughing double minor, misconduct), Love SLB (roughing, misconduct) 7:22, Wood SLB, Jordan TB (roughing) 7:59, Keeble SLB (misconduct) 10:13, Blazino SLB (hooking) 13:03, Cuvelier SLB (cross checking) 14:01, Lucas SLB (high sticking) 19:37.
THIRD PERIOD
Scoring: 8. Thunder Bay, Francis 9 (Simeoni) 10:05. 9. Thunder Bay, Simeoni 10 (Helmeczi, Bryson) 12:50. 10. Sioux Lookout, Riffel 4 (Cuvelier) 18:33 en. Penalties: Blazino SLB (tripping) 3:32, Helmeczi TB (head contact major, game misconduct, served by Marshall) 18:51.
GAME DATA – SOG – Sioux Lookout 8-20-9-37, Thunder Bay 10-11-13-34; Power plays (goals-chances) – Sioux Lookout (2-4), Thunder Bay (1-4); Goaltenders – Sioux Lookout: Matthew Okufany, Thunder Bay: Ben Laurette; A: XXX.
