THIEF RIVER FALLS, Minn. – Jack Michels and Tyler Johnson both scored once and helpet set-up two others to propel the Thief River Falls Norskies past the visiting Dryden GM Ice Dogs 5-3 in a Superior International Junior Hockey League match-up Wednesday evening at Ralph Engelstad Arena.
After taking the opening match-up of this two-game set Tuesday, Thief River Falls carried on from there, scoring just 24 seconds into this one on a Joe Collins effort.
Dryden did draw level before the period was out though thanks to Nolan Marshall 17 minutes later.
The second stanza was all Norskies though as they tallied three times in the session to gain the upper hand on the night.
Special teams resulted in the first two tallies of the frame as Isaac Baron and Michels both converted on shorthanded breakaways to put the hosts up by two with half a game to play.
They added another late in the stanza, just after handling another penalty kill before Michels hit Olson coming out of the penalty box with a pass that allowed him to skate down and pick the left hand corner to make a 4-1 TRF after two.
Up a skater early in the third, the GM Ice Dogs got back into it 57 seconds in as Josh Weber snapped in his 22nd of the season to bring the guests back to within two.
Off a scrambled faceoff deep in Norskies territory, Evan Pakkala pushed a defender off the puck allowing Marshall to skate in front fire a quick shot, then corral his own rebound and score his 15th with over five minutes remaining.
Dryden then pulled starter Knute Loe late for an extra attacker, but Greg Paseschnikoff blocked an attempt then got it up to Tyler Johnson who put it into the empty net from mid-ice in the late going to wrap things up.
Michels and Johnson both also added two assists in the triumph for a pair of three-point nights.
Joshua Seeley, who also picked up a helper on the empty netter, made 40 saves to record the win while Loe handled 26 of 30 in defeat.
Photo credit: Tim Benton