NOELVILLE, Ont. – The improved French River Rapids continue to impress early into the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League’s regular season as they registered their second win and fifth point of the young campaign after earning a 3-2 victory over the Rayside-Balfour Canadians Friday night at Noelville Arena.
After picking up only eight points in all of 2016-17, the Rapids are well on their way to a turnaround year.
Friday’s match-up was scoreless until the latter stages of the first period when Jacob Romano put French River on the board at 17:30.
Rayside-Balfour would draw level three minutes into the second stanza with Matthew Neault notching the equalizer for the Canadians.
The visitors then went in front at 7:14 on a Jacob Partridge effort only to see the Rapids’ Will Frustaglio knot the affair at 12:32 to make it 2-2 heading into the third.
French River then got the game-winner with 8:28 remaining in regulation as Chad Lafortune supplied the difference maker for the Rapids.
Gregory Trudeau-Paquet helped set-up all three French River goals in the contest.
Spencer Eschyschyn turned in a solid performance in net for the Rapids making 32 saves along the way to record the win.
Mackenzie Savard faced 33 attempts in defeat for Rayside-Balfour.
