The Ice Dogs trailed behind the Fort Frances Lakers for most of the game but managed to net the winning goal in OT and take round #1 in the best-of-seven semifinal match-up in a 4-3 decision.

The Lakers opened the scoring seven minutes in but Chad Liley would tie the game in the last minute of the first period.

The Lakers would again take the lead halfway through the second but the Ice Dogs would respond less than a minute later with a goal from Justin Lightfoot.

The Lakers scored their third of the night three minutes into the third but the Ice Dogs would again tie the game less than a minute later with a beautiful goal from Ben McClellan.

The game headed to overtime and with just 1 min 25 seconds left on the clock, Ben McClellan netted his second of the night.

The Ice Dogs and the Lakers will face off again in round #2 on Friday, March 19.

In other SIJHL news, the Fort William North Stars beat out the Sioux Lookout Flyers 5-2 in their second game of the best-of-seven semifinal. The North Stars lead that series 2-0.

The Dryden Ice Dogs kick off the semifinals at home against the Fort Frances Lakers tonight at the Dryden Memorial Arena.

The Ice Dogs went undefeated in the playoff round robin, earning their choice of opponent in the semifinal. The Lakers beat the K&A Wolverines in OT in Thunder Bay on Sunday.

Puck drops at 7:30 p.m. Game #2 will also take place at the Dryden Memorial Arena on Friday, March 19 at 7:30 p.m.

Game #3 and #4 will take place in Fort Frances on Sunday, March 20 and Tuesday, March 22.

Game #5 will be back in Dryden if needed.

The Legion Branch #63 in Dryden hosted their first annual Children’s Wish Foundation Mixed Doubles dart tournament March 14 to help raise money for the charity.
Players from Fort Frances, Ignace, Oxdrift, Dryden and Wabigoon competed in the tournament.
Danny Bird and Anne Watson of Fort Frances earned first place and Gary and Heather Connor of Dryden took second place.
Third place ended in a tie between Katie and Tony Ryan of Dryden and Kevin and Cindy Richards of Ignace.
The tournament raised approximately $900 to be given to the Children’s Wish Foundation to help grant a wish to children with severe diseases.
Casey Gould and Michael Arnold, two 16-year-old boys of Dryden were both granted a wish through the Foundation and were present at the tournament to share their stories.
Gould was diagnosed with Duchenne’s Muscular Dystrophy and was granted his wish in 2002.
He traveled with his family to Dover Delaware to watch Nascar and meet Jeff Gordon.
Arnold was born with a transposition of the great vessels in the heart, meaning the two main arteries in his heart were backwards.
He suffered his first heart attack in 2006.
He was granted a wish and traveled with his family to Ireland in March of last year.
His wish was to stay in the most haunted castle in Ireland. Instead, they stayed in three haunted castles and toured others during their week long visit.

There’s a lot to be said about hard work and determination and the Eagles girls’ senior volleyball team proved that at OFSAA.
The girls walked away with their first ever silver medal after losing to defending champions, General Amherst, in a thrilling three-set game.
Coach Todd Desautels says the girls are very proud of their accomplishment and has improved greatly over the course of the season.
“This is the most improved team I have ever coached. This team far exceeded any coaching goals that we had at the start of the season. This team worked extremely hard all season.”
The team finished second in the round robin after earning three straight wins against Don Bosco High School, host team Perth and Es De La Salle.
They earned one loss to ninth ranked Beamsville before securing a spot in the quarter finals.
A repeat game of last season, the Eagles took on first ranked West Elgin Secondary School and came back from a first set loss to take the opposition in three sets, 19-25, 25-23, 15-12.
The team met up with fourth ranked Gisele Lalonde for the semifinal match up, which also went to three sets.
The Eagles lost the first set 22-25 but fought back to take the next two 25-23, 15-11.
Already guaranteed a medal, the girls found themselves in the gold medal match, an achievement they had yet to accomplish.
Desautels says the girls’ experience took over and they were nothing but focused going into the final game against defending champs General Amherst.
“We know that team, we’ve faced them before. They were very focused. Just with their experience [...] they know what is needed to keep on playing.”
The team fell to the reigning champions in three straight sets, 19-25, 19-25, 15-25.
Desautels adds that the hometown support received during the tournament was phenomenal and helped the girls stay on track.
“I think that’s why we do well too, it’s because of who these girls are and where they come from. What they did exemplifies who we are, from the small town of Dryden with that sense of community, that sense of caring.”
He adds that lots of family, alumni and past Dryden residents turned out in their Eaglewear to cheer on the girls in their best medal achievement to date at the OFSAA level.

Gold, silver and bronze medals were handed out to several members of the Dryden Dolphins during the annual Northwest Regional Swimming Championships hosted at the Canada Games Complex in Thunder Bay Feb. 26-28.
Sarah Urquhart, 8, placed third in the 50m and 100m butterfly; Alex Urquhart, 11, placed second in the 50m breaststroke; Jacob Anderson, 12, placed third in the 400m and 800m freestyle.
Kira Kuzemchuk, 12, finished second in the 50m freestyle and third in the 400m and 800m freestyle, the 100m and 200m breaststroke and the 400m individual medley.
Patrick Gould, 13, finished first in the 800m freestyle and 100m backstroke and finished third in the 50m freestyle and the 200m backstroke.
Chris Draper, 15, finished second in the 50m freestyle and third in the 200m breaststroke; Garrett Lindquist, 15, finished third in the 400m freestyle.
Three members of the Dryden Dolphins earned qualifying times to compete in the Manitoba Saskatchewan Short Court Provincials March 18-21 at the Pan Am Pool in Winnipeg.

The Ice Dogs are looking to re-gain their playoff lead tonight at home against the Fort William North Stars.

The team is 2-0 in the round robin playoff round and is looking to capitalize in their next two games.

Puck drops at the Dryden Memorial Arena tonight at 7:30 p.m.