NORTHERN ONTARIO JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
NOJHL COMMUNICATIONS
MEDIA UPDATE
Release Date: Saturday, Jan. 25, 2014
Streaks extended in NOJHL play Saturday
SUDBURY – A trio of Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League match-ups Saturday saw a number of streaks continued on the ice.
SOO THUNDERBIRDS 5 ELLIOT LAKE BOBCATS 0 – Darcy Haines had a goal and three assists while Brian Kment stopped all 15 shots he faced to help led the Thunderbirds to their 19th consecutive victory as they blanked Elliot Lake at Essar Centre.
After neither side found the back of the net in the opening stanza the red-hot Thunderbirds four times in the middle session to take control.
Haines had an early power play marker in the second for the eventual game-winner while Nicolas Tassone, Anthoney Miller and Gavin Butbach also scored for Sault Ste. Marie.
Burbach added one more in the third to round out the scoring for the T-Birds who also remain unbeaten on home ice this season.
Owen Headrick also had a pair of assists to aid the offensive cause of the winners.
Alex Bitsakis saw 34 pucks fired his way in a losing cause for the Bobcats.
BLIND RIVER BEAVERS 2 SUDBURY NICKEL BARONS 1 – A Jake Zarzycki third period tally proved to be the decider as Beavers edged the Nickel Barons at the Blind River Community Centre to match a season-high winning streak at two.
After a scoreless first period Tyler Shanush would put the home side in front at 4:15 of the second only to see P.J. Lepage level the proceedings 10 minutes later.
Zarzycki then potted the winner with 14:08 remaining while Jessie Morin did the rest for the Beavers as he finished with 35 saves on the night to pick-up the win.
Andrew Lefevbre had 21 shots against in a losing cause for Sudbury.
ABITIBI ESKIMOS 5 ESPANOLA RIVERMEN 3 – Ryan Tront and Brady Clouthier both had three points apiece to help Abitibi defeat Espanola and move into sole possession of third place in the NOJHL standings with the home ice victory over the Rivermen at Jus Jordan Arena.
Abitibi jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead on efforts supplied by Tront and Brennan Roy to send the Eskimos on their way.
Espanola’s Brennen Dubchak, via the power play, cut the deficit in half to not only get his side on the board, but to also run a consecutive game point streak to 22 straight games.
Andrew Green answered back for Abitibi before the end of the first spelling an end to Rivermen starter William King’s night in favour of Marc Terriault.
The Eskimos extended their lead to four by the end of the second thanks to tallies by Clouthier and Brenden Locke.
Espanola made a game of it in the third with efforts by Robert Smythe and Byron Sam, but Abitibi held on for the victory.
Brody Wagner made 32 stops to pick-up the win in net for the Eskimos with King and Terriault combining to see 34 shots fired their way in defeat.
League play continues Monday as North Bay entertains Kirkland Lake in a 7 p.m. start at West Ferris Arena.
