Lakers snap home skid

The Fort Frances Lakers put the brakes on a three-game losing streak on home ice with an 11-6 romp over the Duluth Clydesdales here Saturday night.
The game was decided in the first period as the home squad jumped out to a 5-1 lead.

“We stressed having a good start and for the most part I think we had it,” noted Lakers’ head coach and general manager Wayne Strachan.
“To put up five goals in the first period, and to do that at home, is always a good thing and you should be able to carry that through until the end,” he added.
Leading the charge was the top offensive line of Merritt Rysavy, Jordan Christianson, and Colton Spicer, who were involved in all but three of the team’s 11 goals.
“That line played a part in our last seven goals, so they were a huge plus for us in getting the win,” Strachan stressed.
Christianson sparked the attack with two goals and six assists for the biggest night of production in his career.
“We were working well tonight,” the 20-year-old from International Falls remarked.
“Spicer and Merritt are really fun to play with, and everything was just clicking for us,” he added.
Not to be outdone, Spicer also set a career high when it came to offensive production, scoring four goals and assisting on one of Christianson’s two markers.
“Normally when our line is clicking, we are getting points,” Spicer reasoned.
“When we are all making plays and able to make things happen, we are able to get goals.”
Rysavy, Davis Smith, Jacob Nolan, Mason Meyer, and newly-acquired forward Tyler Brodersen also scored for the Lakers while defenceman Simon Desrosiers chipped in with four helpers.
Sebastian Romeo scored twice for the Clydesdales, with Zachary Newman, Justin Martin, Luke Dmytro, and Jon Ringstad adding singles.
Saturday’s triumph was a big bounce-back performance for the Lakers, who fell 6-2 to the league-leading Minnesota Wilderness here Friday night.
“It’s not right to not be able to show up against the number-one team in the league,” Strachan said.
“In the first period, we weren’t too bad early on when it was five-on-five,” he recalled. “But our special teams hurt us twice and we had a couple of bad defensive errors to fall behind 4-0.
“When you are against that team and you are not matching their intensity and speed, that is exactly what can happen,” he warned.
Davis Smith and Carlson notched the Lakers’ lone goals in the third period, but the game already was well out of reach.
Mike Dietrich led the Wilderness with a goal and an assist, with Tyler Gorniak, Jake Larson, Conrad Sampair, Jordan Shockley, and Nick Szopinski also scoring.
The Lakers don’t return to action until this Friday in Hoyt Lakes, where they’ll take on the Minnesota Iron Rangers.
The next game at the Ice For Kids Arena is set for the following night (Jan. 19), when the Clydesdales return for a 7:30 p.m. showdown.