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Bombers drop one to La Ronge late, losing 5-3

The Flin Flon Bombers snatched defeat from the jaws of victory at home Friday night, losing their first game of 2020 to the archrival La Ronge Ice Wolves 5-3. La Ronge got on the board early and often, scoring on the first shot of the game.
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The Flin Flon Bombers snatched defeat from the jaws of victory at home Friday night, losing their first game of 2020 to the archrival La Ronge Ice Wolves 5-3.

La Ronge got on the board early and often, scoring on the first shot of the game. Daylon Mannon found the twine with less than two minutes gone on the clock. The Ice Wolves got a pair of goals later in the frame from Grant Longtin and Stewart Pond, who found Delorme's five-hole from 50 feet out through a crowd.

The Bombers stopped the bleeding on the powerplay with seconds remaining in the first. Tristan Lemyre, fresh off winning the league's Rookie of the Month award for December, found the net with a slapshot that fooled Ice Wolves 'tender Liam McGarva.

The comeback was on in the second period, with Cole Rafuse diving to the ice to poke one past McGarva halfway through a period the Bombers dominated. Later, seconds after a powerplay expired, Caleb Franklin tied the game with four minutes left in the second period.

Heading into the third period tied, both sides kept the game even. Rafuse was sprung on a breakaway midway through the frame but couldn't solve McGarva.

Not long afterward, a Ryder Richmond defensive zone turnover allowed La Ronge to set up around Bomber goalie Jacob Delorme, with Rowan Barnes snagging the go-ahead goal with six minutes to go.

The Bombers pulled Delorme in the final minute, but the effort was all for naught. After Mannon overpowered Richmond on the sideboards, Mannon passed it to Longtin who added an empty netter to seal the deal.

McGarva made 46 saves on a busy night for La Ronge, while Delorme made 34 saves in the loss.

The Bombers still sit first in the Sherwood division - just. La Ronge is beginning to creep up the standings, only three points behind Flin Flon. The Bombers have three games in hand on La Ronge.

The loss also puts the Bombers out of sole possession of second place in the SJHL. The Yorkton Terriers, who beat Humboldt 7-6 Friday night, tied the Bombers for second with 51 points. Flin Flon has a whopping five games in hand on the Terriers.

Flin Flon will head down Highway 106 for a return date in La Ronge Saturday night. If the Ice Wolves win, they will have won four consecutive games against the Bombers.

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