The La Ronge Ice Wolves are off to an 0-2 start after dropping an 8-5 decision in Flon Flon on Saturday night.
The Ice Wolves opened the scoring 7:39 into the first when Jake Gudjonson tipped home an Antonio Di Paolo blast. Nate Hooper would score twice before the period was out, giving the Bombers a 2-1 lead entering the second period.
Both teams would exchange goals in the second frame, so the Bombers led 3-2 heading into the third. Caleb Moretz had the Flin Flon marker in the second, while Zach Bannister tallied his second of the season 6:44 into period two.
The third period is where things got interesting. The Ice Wolves and Bombers combined for eight goals, which resembled something you’d see in 1983. Flin Flon busted the gates wide open, as Donavan Houle had two goals in the first five minutes of the third, which gave Flin Flon a 5-2 advantage.
The Ice Wolves answered the call just 21 seconds after the second Houle goal when Tanner Brewster wired a one-timer past Pierce Diamond on a 2-on-1, which pulled the Ice Wolves within two.
Alec Cokley and Daylan Marchi both tallied a few minutes later, making it a 7-3 contest. La Ronge could have packed up its tent and went home, but the Ice Wolves responded in a big way with two goals. Antonio Di Paolo wired home his second of the season on the power play 17:12 into the frame. Twenty-seven seconds later, Jordan Mish tallied on the man advantage, which made it a 7-5 game.
The Ice Wolves pulled Jordan Frey late for the extra attacker, but the Bombers put the icing on the cake with an empty-netter. Frey faced 55 shots Saturday and came up with some unbelievable stops.
For the second straight night, the power play was clicking for the Ice Wolves, as they scored two times on eight opportunities.
The Ice Wolves aren’t back in action until next Sunday when they travel to Warman for the SJHL Showcase tournament. The Ice Wolves meet the Battlefords North Stars next Sunday and the Weyburn Red Wings next Monday.
Due to a programming conflict, we won’t have Sunday’s game for you on MBC, but we will have Monday’s afternoon affair with Weyburn.
(PHOTO: The Ice Wolves made their first trip to Flin Flon Saturday. Photo by Braden Malsbury.)