GALLERY: Antoine with the hattrick to lead Ice Dogs

Photos: Kerri-Ann Kanceruk

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By Mike Ebbeling

Dryden, ON – The Dryden GM Ice Dogs came out flying hoping to end a two-game home losing streak. The Ice Dogs struck early as Kaden Bandura took advantage of a Sean Smith screen and fired one past starting goalie William Forrester at the 2:39 mark to make it 1-0. Jackson Payeur made a nice play at the blueline to keep the play alive picking up an assist along with Carson Devine. Dryden GM would carry the play throughout the opening frame but couldn’t add to their lead until the Lumberjacks ran into penalty trouble late. With Collin Baker in the box for a hooking infraction McLaren Paulsen made his presence known in his first game back from injury and scored on a snapshot, his fourth of the year to make it 2-0. Adam Zimmerman recorded the lone assist. Dryden GM then capitalized on a 4-3 powerplay near the end of the period. Max Roby was left alone on the far circle and buried a one-time wrist shot past Forrester to extend the lead to three. Payeur once again picked up a helper on the play, his second point of the game. Dryden GM dominated in the shot department finishing with an 18-4 advantage.

Dryden GM would continue to pour it on to start the second, but William Forrester held his own. However, the Ice Dogs would score a shorthanded goal at 7:25, their 4th of the season, to make it 4-0. Eli Antoine finished off a 2-1 by accepting a feed from Bryce Benfield for his second of the year. Dryden GM would have a chance to pad their lead when Whittaker Heart came out of the penalty box to go in alone but was slashed from behind leading to a penalty shot. However, the product of Duluth, Minnesota was denied by Forrester. Wisconsin would find the scoreboard at the very end of a Tag Bryson penalty. On a goal mount scramble Nolan Fowler finally got loose to bang home a loose puck for his 4th of the campaign. During the scrum Carson Shafor and Josh Gulden got in on the action to pick up assists. Seven minutes later Carson Devine was left alone in front of the net, he waited and put it over top of a sprawling Forrester for his 4th of the year. Bryson and Sean Smith added helpers. Wisconsin would bounce right back on a powerplay. Shafor outwaited Michael O’Sullivan and put it into the open net to make it 5-2. Simon Davidson and Fowler earned assists on the play. The period would end with Dryden GM outshooting the Lumberjacks 21-10.

The Ice Dogs would strike early in the third to pad the lead as Eli Antoine picked up a loose puck and took advantage of a perfect feed from Bryce Benefield to extend the lead to 6-2. Sebastiano Biagi also picked up an assist on the play. Antoine would complete the hat trick as he came in 2 on 1 shorthanded after accepting a pass from Benefield, recording the 5th shorthanded goal of the year. Wisconsin would not let up starting to pressure the Ice Dogs back-end and it paid off as Collin Baker tipped one home after a great individual setup by Koen Burkholder to make it 7-3. Dryden GM would clamp down after that ending a two game losing streak. Final shots ended up 54 in favour of the Ice Dogs and 19 posted for the Lumberjacks.