Sioux Lookout Bombers pick up 5-1 victory in home opener

Tim Brody - Editor

A 5-1 victory for the Sioux Lookout Bombers in their home opener against the visiting Red Lake Miners on Oct. 2 at the Hangar (Sioux Lookout Memorial Arena).
The Bombers donned special orange Jerseys for the Truth and Reconciliation game.
The jerseys were sponsored by Kwayaciiwin Education Resource Centre.
The team announced to the crowd before the match got underway, “A special and heartfelt thank you to the residential school survivors, intergenerational survivors, and family members joining us today. Your courage in sharing your truths, your resilience, and your presence here are a profound gift to our community. Tonight, we are wearing orange jerseys to show respect for the people affected by the atrocities of the Residential School System in Canada, and to commemorate the courage shown by Phyllis Webstad in 1973.”
A moment of silence was observed for all people affected by the Indian Residential School system.
Reed Scaddan found the back of the net just five minutes into the match to bring the crowd to their feet and give the Bombers an early lead.
With about four minutes left in the first period, Jaxon Nicol added to the Bombers tally to give them a 2-0 lead.
Markus Thompson added a third goal to the Bombers cause with about four minutes left in the second period to give the team a commanding 3-0 lead.
Corwyn Bear got the Miners on the scoreboard three and a half minutes in the third period to cut the score to 3-1.
The Bombers added two more goals courtesy of Brodie Davis and Logan Penston for a 5-1 victory.
Stanislav Stefaniv picked up the win in net for the Bombers.
Bombers Head Coach Joel Litt-Jukes shared after the match, “We’ve been waiting to get a game at home.” That said, he said starting the season on the road allowed the team to make some tweaks. “To be able to come back home and really have a finished product, something that we felt really good about, one of our more connected games, that was nice to see,” he said.
Commented on that evenings match, Litt-Jukes said, “I thought we played super connected. I thought our structure looked phenomenal. There’s still some things we can work on of course but overall, for the third game of the year, I felt really happy with how the structure went.”
Tyson Carter had two assists in the match. Logan Penston recorded a goal and an assist, as did Markus Thompson.
“A lot of the guys have a lot of good chemistry so far,” Litt-Jukes said. “We made some tweaks from the first two games into this game and we’re really, really happy with the product we’ve got. Some of those tweaks paid off.” 
Bombers Captain Cooper Labelle commented, “It was a great turnout today. The crowd was unreal tonight.”  He agreed with his coach’s assessment of the team, sharing, “We’re a very connected group this year which I’m very happy and proud about. It goes back to the coaching staff and getting all these great guys together.”
Bombers goalie Stanislav Stefaniv said after the match, “I feel great. Lots of support for the team from the fans.”
Stefaniv was one of the Superior International Junior Hockey League’s (SIJHL) Three Stars of the Week for September 25-27.
Litt-Jukes commented, “He’s a phenomenal goalie and an even better teammate.”
He added, “I think we’re three deep in the crease. I think we’ve got three guys who support each other well and it doesn’t matter who’s in the net, we feel really, really happy and confident with what we’ve got.”
“We genuinely believe we have one of the stronger teams in the league. Of course, we have to go out and prove that though, three games means nothing to us. It’s a long season. It’s going to be a marathon, so we’re hoping that we can continue to prove that and keep that momentum going, not just in the next stretch here, but throughout the whole year,” Litt-Jukes concluded.