Trappers defeat Gold Miners and advance to NOJHL finals

NORTHERN ONTARIO JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE

NOJHL COMMUNICATIONS
MEDIA RELEASE

Release Date: Monday, April 8, 2013

Trappers defeat Gold Miners and advance to NOJHL finals

NORTH BAY – Graham Pickard’s second goal of the game with 8:21 remaining stood up as the game-winner as the North Bay Trappers defeated the Kirkland Lake Gold Miners 4-2 Monday evening in game 5 of their Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League semifinal series at Memorial Gardens.

With the victory the Trappers win the best-of-seven affair 4-1 and now advance to meet the defending NOJHL champion Soo Thunderbirds in the league final, which is expected to get underway later this week.

The schedule for the NOJHL championship will be announced once it is finalized.

As North Bay is also serving as the host team for the Dudley-Hewitt Cup Central Canada Jr. A championship tournament, the reigning DHC title-holding Thunderbirds automatically advance to join the Trappers along with the winners from both the Ontario Junior and Superior International Junior Hockey Leagues in the five-day event, which goes April 30 through May 4.

In Monday’s contest, Kirkland Lake captain Connor McNally opened the scoring 7:49 into the contest, only to see Pickard tie it with just over three minutes remaining in the first period.

In the middle frame, North Bay took their first lead of the night late in the session as Duane Wainman beat Gold Miners starter Chris Komma with 1:35 to go.

Not to be deterred, the visitors levelled the proceedings 78 seconds later as Jean-Michel Naud slipped the puck past North Bay netminder Greg Dodds at 19:43 to knot the score heading to the third.

That is where Pickard finished off the work of Tait Seguin to put the Trappers up for good.

Seguin, along with Connor Gilmartin, then picked up their second assists of the night apiece as they combined to feed Brennen Dubchak for an empty-net effort at 19:53 to close out the series over a resilient Kirkland Lake squad, who battled hard right until the end under the tutelage of NOJHL coach of the year Marc Lafleur.

Dodds made 20 saves to pick up the win for North Bay who fired 37 shots on Komma.

NOJHL Playoffs: Round 2
Semifinals

Series D
No. 1 North Bay Trappers vs. No. 4 Kirkland Lake Gold Miners
Trappers win best-of-seven series 4-1

Game 1: North Bay 2 Kirkland Lake 1 (OT)
Game 2: Kirkland Lake 2 North Bay 1
Game 3: North Bay 3 Kirkland Lake  2 (OT)
Game 4: North Bay 5 Kirkland Lake 2
Game 5: North Bay 4 Kirkland Lake 2

Series E
No. 2 Soo Thunderbirds vs. 3 Sudbury Nickel Barons
Thunderbirds win best-of-seven series 4-0

Game 1: Soo 4 Sudbury 1
Game 2: Soo 2 Sudbury 1
Game 3: Soo 9 Sudbury 2
Game 4: Soo 3 Sudbury 1

Series F
NOJHL Finals
No. 1 North Bay Trappers vs. No. 2 Soo Thunderbirds
Best-of-seven series
Schedule T.B.A.