By Gary Moskalyk
Oliver Paipoonge, ON – Max Wright scored three goals as the Fighting Walleye took a 2-0 series lead with a 5-2 win over visiting Red Lake.
The Miners opened the scoring at 12:11 of the first. Andrew Sikora notched his first of the post season off a faceoff win in the Kam River zone.
Wright scored two and Ryan Daponte added a third as the Walleye skated to a 3-1 lead in the second. Wright scored in close at 1:15, getting his second on a 2-on-1 with Nickolas Fagnilli at 4:41. Daponte clicked on a Walleye power play, depositing a rebound past Ethan Neitsch at 13:43 for his 4th of the second season. Luke DeCorby narrowed the lead to 3-2 with his 3rd, beating Ashton Sadauskas from the low slot on a Miners’ power play.
The Walleye added two goals in the third. Wright tucked his hat trick tally at 8:32 for a 4-2 Walleye lead. Carter Nailen clicked from the low slot at 14:31 on a Kam River power play at 14:31 to round out the scoring. Red Lake took eight straight minor penalties starting midway through the third period. Red lake had 17 infractions to Kam River’s five.
The Walleye were 2-12 on the power play, while Red Lake was 1-3. Neitsch made 42 saves on 47 shots, while Sadauskas was 28 for 30.
Fagnilli garnered three assists for the Walleye.
Attendance was 612. Game three is in Red Lake on Wednesday at 7:05 p.m. CDT.