FORT FRANCES, Ont. – The Dryden GM Ice Dogs picked up a career-high six points from Matthew Pitchenese to help send them on their way to a one-sided 11-0 romp over the Minnesota Iron Rangers Tuesday afternoon in the opening game of the Superior International Junior Hockey League Showcase at Ice for Kids Arena in Fort Frances.
Dryden kicked off the scoring with Walls lifting a backhand, from close range, high over the glove of Minnesota starter Rob Ivy 2:44 into the contest.
The GM Ice Dogs added another later in the frame as Pitchenese made a pass from behind the net in front to a waiting Woody Galbraith who chipped in his fourth of the season.
They then came right back to go up by three as Walls notched his second of the period and 15th overall at 15:47.
Dryden’s early onslaught continued as Eric Stout’s cross-ice feed found Tristan Simm who quickly one-timed his chance past Ivy.
It was more GM Ice Dogs midway through the middle stanza as Galbraith fired the puck towards the front of the net that found its way in from a sharp angle.
A Jacen Bracko shorthanded tally with 7:41 to go in the second saw Dryden add to their cushion as he snapped one past Ivy from the slot.
He then added another man-down marker moments later as his picked up his second of the day and 30th overall.
Dakotah Woods supplied one more for the GM Ice Dogs before Pitchenese notched his pair before Conner Mowatt completed the romp in the latter stages of the game.
Galbraith also had three assists as did Trey Palermo for Dryden in the rout that saw 10 different skaters have multi-point affairs.
Jacob Gnidziejko picked up the win by stopping all 25 shots he faced to post his second shutout of the season.
Ivy was peppered with 49 shots against for the Iron Rangers in suffering the loss.
Two more match-ups are on the slate in Day 1 play at the SIJHL Showcase.
The English River Miners meet the league-leading Thief River Falls Norskies at 4:15 p.m. CT before the host Fort Frances Lakers take on the Thunder Bay North Stars at 7:30 p.m. CT.
Photo credit: Clint Bruyere