A rough opening day for the Dryden GM Ice Dogs and Red Lake Miners as a new Superior International Junior Hockey League season is underway.
In Dryden, the Ice Dogs and Kam River Fighting Walleye went toe-to-toe throughout the game before the visiting team pulled out a 5-2 victory.
Dryden GM opened the scoring with a beautiful goal from James Hooton.
However, Kam River went on a 3-0 run after that.
The Ice Dogs pulled within one late in the second when newly acquired Landen Stromme scored on a breakaway.
The back breaker came with about 8 minutes remaining when a shot from the corner ricocheted off of Ethan Lang past goalie Eric Clark to make it 4-2.
Lang would later add an empty netter.
Clark and Fighting Walleye goalie Eric Vanska both made key saves in the game to keep the contest close.
The announced crowd was 700 and the two teams go back at it Saturday at the Memorial Arena at 7:30 pm.
In Spooner, the Wisconsin Lumberjacks upset the defending champion Red Lake Miners 5-2.
It was a similar situation as the Dryden GM game as the home team carried a 3-2 lead into the third before scoring two in the final frame.
Once again the insurance goal was an empty netter.
Scoring for the Miners were former Ice Dog defenceman Dayvan Bull and R.J. Dickie.
Jaxson Taupert suffered the loss in net.
Red Lake looks to rebound Saturday at 7:05 pm against Wisconsin.
