NORTHERN ONTARIO JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
MEDIA UPDATE
Release Date: Friday, Dec. 6, 2013
Friday night features victories by Sault Ste. Marie, Elliot Lake and Kirkland Lake
SUDBURY – It was Friday night in the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League and the Soo Thunderbirds, Elliot Lake Bobcats and Kirkland Lake Gold Miners all came away with victories.
SOO THUNDERBIRDS 5 ABITIBI ESKIMOS 2 – The hometown Thunderbirds maintained their home ice wizardry in the triumph over the Eskimos as they remained unbeaten so far this season at Essar Centre.
Grant Syrette notched his first of two on the night to give Sault Ste. Marie the lead with the only tally in the first 20 minutes.
He then struck again 5:13 into the second to put the T-Birds up a pair.
Not to be outdone Abitibi answered back with efforts from Shane Hiley and Brady Clouthier before the stanza was complete to knot the affair at 2-2.
It was all home side in the third however as they struck for three unanswered tallies to pull out the win.
Darcy Haines would slam home the game-winner just 10 seconds into the final session while Jaren Bellini and Anthony Miller, shorthanded and into an empty net, wrapped up the night’s proceedings.
Haines and Tyler Jones also both added two assists apiece for the Sault.
Red-hot Joel Horodziejczyk had 16 stops in picking up the victory, which was his 13th in succession for the league-leading Thunderbirds.
Brody Wagner was pelted with 50 shots in a valiant losing effort between the pipes for the Eskimos.
ELLIOT LAKE BOBCATS 6 ESPANOLA RIVERMEN 3 – Brett Wagner had two tallies, including his fourth game-winning goal of the campaign, along with a pair of assists to lead the Bobcats over the Rivermen in Espanola.
Elliot Lake’s Bryan McFarlane gave his side the lead after one period of play as he found the back of the net at 16:48.
A high-scoring second stanza saw the two sides combine for five markers that saw Espanola strike three times to the Bobcats’ two.
Nathan Campbell had two of the goals for the Rivermen in the period while Corbin Bean had the other.
Wagner and Aaron Carmichael connected for Elliot Lake in the period.
The visitors then came out quickly in the third and were rewarded by Wagner’s winner at the 49-second mark.
Another by McFarlane six minutes in made it 5-3 and Aviv Milner added some insurance midway through to wrap things up.
Dylan Sakatch doled out three assists to chip in for the Bobcats.
Brennen Dubchak had a trio of helpers of his own for Espanola as he extended a consecutive game point streak to 12 straight contests while also taking over sole possession of the NOJHL scoring lead with 48 points.
Making 30 saves to record the win for Elliot Lake was Etienne Roy while Joakim Jutras had 16 stops for the Rivermen and was saddled with the loss.
KIRKLAND LAKE GOLD MINERS 2 NORTH BAY TRAPPERS 1 – A Mathieu Lecompte marker 7:57 into the third period was the difference as Kirkland Lake edged North Bay at “The Joe.”
The Gold Miners used the power play to their advantage for the only goal of the opening stanza as Samuel Wilbur beat Trappers netminder Evan Cormier at 15:19.
It stayed that way into the early moments of the final frame when Eric Champagne notched the equalizer at 1:38.
That would then set the stage for Lecompte to put the winner in the low-scoring affair.
Kenny Fitzgerald picked up the win for the Gold Miners facing only 14 shots on the night with Cormier finishing the busier of the two as the Trappers rookie made 43 saves overall.
