Strong start sends Selkirk over Thief River Falls Sunday

Photo credit: Allison Garrigan

THIEF RIVER FALLS, Minn. – The Selkirk Steelers (MJHL) stormed out to an early four-goal lead and never looked back as they skated to a 7-3 victory over the Thief River Falls Norskies Sunday in a Canadian Junior Hockey League preseason matinee at Ralph Engelstad Arena.

It was the Manitoba Junior Hockey League side that set the tone in this one grabbing that early cushion before the contest was 13 minutes old on markers from Carter Barley, Nathan Hillis, Nash Dabb and Connor Barley to chase Norskies’ starter Brock Lefebvre in favour of Bailey Schmitz, who went the rest of the way for Thief River Falls.

The home side got back into it with a pair of markers in the early stages of the middle session compliments of Cody Aarvig 53 seconds in and Aslan Akeryik at 4:15.

Selkirk answered that with Brady Castellano effort in the later stages of the stanza to make it 5-2 after 40 minutes.

The Steelers’ Shannan McFadden and the Norskies’ Parker Simonson traded tallies early in the final frame before Selkirk’s Ryan Piwniuk rounded out the scoring midway through the third period.

Dabb, Castellano and Will Middleton aided the winner’s cause with two assists apiece.

Hayden Dola started for the visitors and played half the game in picking up the win stopping 11 of 13 along the way while Landon Poiron handled 10 of 11 in relief.

Lefebvre suffered the loss for Thief River Falls allowing the four against on 12 shots with Schmitz turning aside 34 of 37 in over 48 minutes of work.

The same two teams will meet again Wednesday in a 7:30 p.m. start at the Selkirk Recreation Complex.