McClellan downright dangerous against North Stars

Sports & Recreation — 22 December 2010

Ice Dogs forwards Alex Galbraith and Ben McClellan (standing) do a little net crashing during the first period of a 5-4 overtime win versus the Fort Frances Lakers, Dec. 15. McClellan had a superb weekend on the powerplay notching five goals in two weekend wins against the Thunder Bay North Stars. Photos by Chris Marchand

The Dryden Ice Dogs are the new team to beat in the Superior International Junior Hockey League (SIJHL).

The club posted an eighth consecutive win Saturday to finish a week as challenging as any in this league — a showdown with the Fort Frances Lakers, followed by two games on the road versus the Thunder Bay North Stars.

Three wins against two of the league’s closely matched top-four teams earned the Dryden Ice Dogs an honourable mention in the Canadian Junior Hockey League top-20 rankings.

But the Ice Dogs were nearly taught a lesson late in last Wednesday’s game as a two-goal lead disappeared in the blink of an eye as the Lakers forced overtime.

Four minutes into an extra round, Thomas Greene (McClellan, Mitchell) would notch his ninth goal of the season, shorthanded for the 5-4 overtime win.

Heading into the weekend, special teams would play a more significant role.

Both the Ice Dogs and North Stars played a relatively disciplined game, Friday, giving up just three penalties each.

Tom Kuhn would score a powerplay goal (Greene, Lee) in the first period while Ice Dogs’ netminder Ian Perrier fended off shots on goal that outpaced his own team’s efforts.

Dogs’ goal-scoring leader Brendan McClellan (Lee, Greene) would score the game winner in the third period, his 18th goal of the season. Final score: Ice Dogs 2, North Stars, 1

McClellan would proceed to go on a four-goal tear on the powerplay, Saturday as The North Stars’ frustration with the impenetrable Ian Perrier piqued. Perrier would face 37 shots, primarily in the second and third periods.

Yet, no less than seventeen North Stars penalties, including the ejection of coach Todd Howarth, gave the Ice Dogs plenty of time to execute their powerplay.

Recent acquisition Dwight Lee (Pelletier, Galbraith) also scored in the 5-3 win.

The Dryden Ice Dogs return to home ice Wednesday, Jan. 5 versus the Sioux Lookout Flyers.

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