NORTHERN ONTARIO JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
NOJHL COMMUNICATIONS
MEDIA RELEASE
Release Date: Saturday, Nov. 17, 2012
Sudbury and surging Soo post Saturday night victories
SUDBURY – The surging Soo Thunderbirds reeled off their ninth consecutive win while the Sudbury Nickel Barons found the win column again after a lengthy slump in the two Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League contests staged Saturday.
SOO THUNDERBIRDS 4 ABITIBI ESKIOMOS 0 – The visiting T-Birds notched the only goal they would need 2:09 into the game courtesy of Dallas McLaughlin while Steven Dombrowski did the rest turning aside all 39 shots he faced to register the shutout in the triumph over Abitibi at Jus Jordan Arena in Iroquois Falls.
Tyler Jones tacked on a power play effort later in the initial stanza to put the Soo up a pair after 20 minutes.
Following a scoreless middle session the Thunderbirds added some insurance in the final frame from A.J. Kapcheck and Brandon Warmington to round out the scoring.
Jackson Winkler made 35 saves in a losing cause in the Eskimos’ net.
With the victory the T-Birds improved to a league-best 16-1-1-2 on the campaign with Abitibi slipping to 6-12-0-1.
SUDBURY NICKEL BARONS 6 BLIND RIVER BEAVERS 4 – Sebastien Leroux tallied twice and dished out a pair of assists to help lead Sudbury past Blind River.
After Brandon Bazinet opened the scoring for the hometown Beavers, Leroux levelled the proceedings before the period was complete.
The Nickel Barons then stormed out to a 4-1 lead after 40 minutes thanks to markers by Andre Comtois, Leroux and Giovanni Foschia.
Tyson MacLeod pulled Blind River back to within two 5:22 into the third only to see Darcy Haines restore the Sudbury cushion a mere 41 seconds later.
Refusing to yield the Beavers answered back on goals by Samuel Wilbur and MacLeod to pull within one with 3:05 to go, but Leroux fed Haines for an empty-net effort in the final minute to finish things off.
Michael Muzyka had 29 stops to earn the win for the Nickel Barons who went to 11-9 overall.
Aaron Cormier faced 41 attempts in the setback as his club’s record dropped to 4-12-1-3.
The lone NOJHL match-up Sunday is a dandy with the front-running Thunderbirds putting their lengthy winning streak on the line as they pay a visit to second place North Bay in a 2 p.m. matinee at Memorial Gardens.
