Sioux Lookout Bombers pick up two wins against visiting Fort Frances Lakers

Tim Brody - Editor

A pair of wins for the Sioux Lookout Bombers as they start the second half of their season. The Bombers hosted the Fort Frances Lakers on Jan. 6 and 7, at the Hangar (Sioux Lookout Memorial Arena), winning 9-5 on Jan. 6 and playing a dominate game to beat the Lakers 13-3 on Jan. 7.
In the Jan. 6 contest, Blake Burke was the game’s first star with two goals and two assists. He shared, “Honestly it was a bit of both, right place and right time and my teammates doing their job and just helping get me the puck. Honestly, without them, I wouldn’t have been able to do it. I give credit to them.”
He said of starting the second half of the season with a win, “I think getting the first one under our belt is going to help us out going forward. I feel confident in our group going forward and think we’re going to have a really good second half.”
Owen Riffel of the Bombers was the game’s second star with a goal and an assist. 
Jake Manners picked up the win in net for the Bombers. 
Ryker Watt of the Lakers was the game’s third star with two goals and two assists.
Bombers Head Coach Carson Johnstone said he was happy to start the season with a win but didn’t feel his team played their best hockey.
“Nice to start with a win after break. After the break, obviously huge to come back and get a win right out of the gate. It’s always a little nerve-wracking too, who you’re playing doesn’t matter, first game back it’s kind of like the beginning of the season again, you want to make sure everybody gets off on the right foot.”
Johnstone and his staff and working hard to get the team ready for playoffs. 
“I kind of told the guys before the game tonight it’s fitting that we’re an aviation themed team because this is now the second half of the season, this is like you’re hitting the runway. You’re gaining momentum, and gaining momentum, and by the time you hit playoffs, you’ve got to make sure everything is in the right place, and everyone is in the right spot and we’re all doing the right things so we can take off together is the metaphor I used with the guys.”
Overall, he said of the team, “I’m really confident in the group we have. We have a very tight-knit group… we’ve done a very good job at team building and I think that’s really important. I like our group, they like each other, and I think we’ve got a talented hockey team so right now we have the right formula happening to be a winning team, just have to stick to it.” 
The Bombers dominated their second game against the Lakers on Jan. 7. 
Alex Lucas of the Bombers was the game’s first star with eight assists. “I just wanted to prove myself to this team and show I could get some points,” he said, adding he is looking forward to the second half of the season.
Owen Riffel of the Bombers was the game’s second star with three goals. “It was a good W. It was good to get two wins,” he said, adding that he too is looking forward to the second half of the season, “It’ll be huge. I think we’re going to do really good.” 
Ty Bahm of the Bombers was the game’s third star with three goals and two assists. “It was a good weekend to get the two wins. Everyone was contributing, so it was good to see,” he said.
Ethan Penner picked up the win in net for the Bombers. 
Johnstone said he was happy with his team’s efforts, “Tonight I think we played a better game collectively. Obviously scoring more goals was nice. We have a talented team that is able to put the puck in the net, so if we do good things all the time, that’s what I’m concerned about, and I thought we did that for the most part.”
With so many players contributing to the win, Johnstone said, “That’s one thing about our lineup, we have some good depth for sure. All four lines are able to put the puck in the net.”