GALLERY: Eli Antoine Overtime Hero For Dryden GM

Dryden, ON – December hasn’t arrived yet but the Dryden GM Ice Dogs are heading into the festive season with something to build on as they grinded out another hard earned victory against one of the top teams in the SIJHL for a second straight night, this time skating away with a 3-2 thriller over Thunder Bay.

The pace was just as electric as it was Friday night but both teams managed to tighten up defensively and received some help from their goaltenders. When the opposition forwards were able to break through it was Ewan Soutar and Keenan Marks responding with some big saves. Soutar ended up making 9 saves for the home team, while Marks responded with 15 stops. It took an Easton Glousher cross-checking call at 11:58 for the games first goal and it was the North Stars who delivered the surprising first blow. The North Stars turned a turnover at their own blueline into a two-on-one. Streaming down the near wing Edison Weeks delivered an absolutely perfect saucer pass right on the stick of EJ Paddington who easily scored his 16^th of the season past a helpless Dryden GM goalie. Connor O’Brien was also awarded an assist on the play. The Ice Dogs would come close after that but couldn’t find a way to beat Marks resulting in a 1-0 lead for the visiting team heading into the break.

Dryden GM would control much of the second period, once again gaining the edge in shots, most quality opportunities. A bad line change resulted in a partial 3-0 for the Ice Dogs but leading scorer Max Roby was robbed by a sprawling Keenan Marks to maintain the one goal lead. Moments later Elias Eisenbarth, after a couple of in-tight chances, was again denied an easy goal when defenceman Garren Voisey leaped across the crease to block an open shot. The home team would finally break through with a shorthanded goal of their own at 8:12 of the period. A rink wide blue line-to-blue line pass by Drew Caddo was picked off by Ryland Maier and the speedy forward headed up ice on a two-on-one and found a wide open McLaren Paulsen who buried the 6^th shorthanded goal of the year for Dryden GM. It didn’t take much longer for the Ice Dogs to strike again as 45 seconds later, moments after McKale Paul stepped out of the penalty box, El Antoine stopped a North Star player on a similar play at the blue line springing another odd man rush. Antoine again found Paulsen who waited until Marks went down putting the puck over top of the North Stars goalie for his second straight goal. The Ice Dogs would finish the period with an edge in shots at 15-10.

The North Stars would respond with some early pressure and quality chances in a bid to tie the contest at two. The hard work along the boards finally paid dividends at 6:18 when Edison Weeks finally emerged from a scrum along the boards in the Ice Dogs zone to find an open Drew Caddo at the point. The 20-year-old defenceman was allowed to take a couple of steps in and he fired a blast over top of the glove of Ewan Soutar to even the score. After that both goalies settled in nicely keeping the score 2-2 until some late period dramatics. Weeks was handed a two minute minor and a 10 minute misconduct for head contact with 2:26 remaining in regulation but some frantic moments around Keenan Marks didn’t amount to a goal. Thunder Bay would grab a break of their own as Max Roby was assessed a minor for roughing with 1:01 to play but the North Stars couldn’t score the winner.

Dryden GM would kill off the remaining seconds of the Roby penalty to start overtime leading up to the game winning goal. At 1:50, Eli Antoine picked up a loose puck inside his own zone, used his speed to blow by the defenders, and walked in one-on-one with Keenan Marks. The Thunder Bay goalie gambled with the poke check, a move he stopped Antoine on earlier in the game, but the speedy forward outlasted Marks to score his 8^th of the year, completing the weekend sweep. Final shots were 41-35 in favour of the Ice Dogs.

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