GALLERY: Beavers off to West final with 1-0 Game 7 win over Canadians

NORTHERN ONTARIO JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE

NOJHL NETWORK MEDIA UPDATE

Release Date: Tuesday, March 28, 2017

Blind River off to West Division final with narrow 1-0 Game 7 win over Rayside-Balfour

BLIND RIVER, Ont. – Mark Bastianello’s goal just past the seven-minute mark of the second period proved to be the only one of the night as the Blind River Beavers edged the Rayside-Balfour Canadians 1-0 in Game 7 of their Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League West Division semifinal Tuesday evening in front of nearly 600 boisterous fans at the Blind River Community Centre.

The result means Blind River takes the hard-fought, best-of-seven series 4-3 and will now move on to meet the Soo Eagles in the West Divisional final.

After a scoreless opening frame, the Beavers picked up the difference maker 7:09 into the middle stanza as Bastianello corralled a loose puck in the neutral zone, then skated down the left side and snapped a shot past Rayside-Balfour starter Owen Johansson for his third tally of the series.

Blind River netminder Myles Hektor did the rest stopping all 45 shots he faced, including 20 alone in the third, to post the shutout and send his side off to the next round.

Johansson was also solid despite the setback for the Canadians as turned aside 42 of the 45 attempts he saw on the night in the season-ending defeat.

The final five games of this series were all decided by just one-goal, including two in overtime.

West Division semifinal
No. 2 Blind River Beavers vs. No. 3 Rayside-Balfour Canadians
Blind River wins best-of-seven series 4-3
Game 1: Blind River 6 Rayside-Balfour 2
Game 2: Blind River 6 Rayside-Balfour 3
Game 3: Rayside-Balfour 4 Blind River 3 (OT)
Game 4: Rayside-Balfour 3 Blind River 2
Game 5: Rayside-Balfour 3 Blind River 2
Game 6: Blind River 4 Rayside-Balfour 3 (OT)
Game 7: Blind River 1 Rayside-Balfour 0