NORTHERN ONTARIO JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
NOJHL COMMUNICATIONS
MEDIA RELEASE
Release Date: Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Hunt’s hat-trick highlights Trappers game 3 win
NORTH BAY – Trevor Hunt tallied three times to help lead the North Bay Trappers to a 5-2 win over the Soo Thunderbirds Tuesday evening in game 3 of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League championship series for the Copeland Cup-McNamara Trophy at Memorial Gardens.
With the victory the Trappers now lead the best-of-seven affair 2-1 heading into game 4 Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at Essar Centre in Sault Ste. Marie.
Special teams allowed North Bay to take a 2-0 lead before the midway mark of the opening stanza as Hunt deftly redirected a couple of point blasts past Joel Horodziejczyk in the Thunderbirds net during a pair of two-man advantage opportunities.
The power play continued to pay dividends for the Trappers in the middle stanza as defenceman Cole Klippenstein finished off a nice three-way passing play with Brennen Dubchak and Beau Orser by wiring a hard wrist shot from inside the blue line that eluded Horodziejczyk at 14:09.
Moments later the Soo had their best opportunity of the night as Dallas McLaughlin was sent in on a clear cut breakaway, but his attempt for the top right hand corner was thwarted by the catching glove of Greg Dodds.
In the late stages of the second session the Thunderbirds did get on the board after Joseph Miller bullied his way down the right side and fed the puck in front, off the skate of a defender, to an open Adam Ritchie, who made no mistake wiring a shot past a sprawled Dodds to make it a 3-1 game after 40 minutes.
Building on the momentum of Ritchie’s tally the T-Birds pulled to within one early in the third as Anthony Miller stuffed in his eighth of the postseason at 1:24.
North Bay answered right back however just 47 seconds later as Samuel Blanchet had a couple whacks at it before sliding in a rebound after Horodziejczyk made the initial couple of saves.
In the final minute, with the Thunderbirds pulling their goaltender in favour of an extra attacker, Hunt backhanded a clearing attempt off the side boards from his own zone down the length of the ice into the empty net to complete his hat-trick at 19:14.
Shot on goal on the night favoured the Soo by a 40-31 margin.
NOJHL Playoffs: Finals
Copeland Cup-McNamara Trophy
Trappers lead best-of-seven series 2-1
Game 1: Soo 3 North Bay 2
Game 2: North Bay 2 Soo 1 (OT)
Game 3: North Bay 5 Soo 2
Game 4: April 18 @ Sault Ste. Marie 7:30 p.m. (Essar Centre)
Game 5: April 21 @ North Bay 2 p.m. (Memorial Gardens)
Game 6*: April 22 @ Sault Ste. Marie 7:30 p.m. (Rhodes Arena)
Game 7*: April 24 @ North Bay 7:30 p.m. (Memorial Gardens)
