Photos: Maddy Perrier
KIRKLAND LAKE, Ont. – Riding the strength of a four-goal first period, the Soo Eagles never looked back as they went on to crown the Kirkland Lake Gold Miners 11-3 Friday night in Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League play at Joe Mavrinac Community Complex.
Entering the contest having gone 8-1 when scoring first, the Eagles got on the board moments after a power play they were on had expired when Landon Stevens put a shot to the net from the top of the left circle that clipped off a defender’s stick and went in.
Sault Ste. Marie added another at 8:34 thanks to Tyler Fortson finishing off a three-way passing play in eluding Kirkland Lake goalkeeper Kael Moberg.
The tally sees Mortson extend a consecutive game point streak to nine in succession.
Not done there, a Mortson pass sent Stevens in alone on a breakaway, who made no mistake by sending a rising sizzler over the blocker of Moberg.
A fourth in the frame saw the Soo’s C.J. Zaharias wheel down the right wing and pump one upstairs at 18:17.
Striking twice quickly in the second period, the Eagles padded their cushion as Benjamin Pouliot fired one in from the slot while Drew Dellies sent a spinning backhand that was inadvertently knocked in by a Gold Miners’ defenceman.
Connecting on a man advantage half way through the match-up, Kirkland Lake’s Trent Nobes chipped a puck over Eagles’ starter Gaetano Piccione during a goal-mouth scramble.
The home side then added another on the next shift that saw Evan Snyder snag a turnover and promptly wire it into the back of the Soo net.
Pulling closer, Nobes notched his second of the session by converting from the right side during another power play chance.
A shorthanded goal by the Eagles’ Anden Marceau at 3:08 of the third made it 7-3 before Alex Povorozniouk put the game away for the Soo as he took a play around the net and jammed in a backhand on a wraparound.
Jack Ohlund, with a pair, and another by Marceau added to the one-sided result as the Soo won going away.
The win lifts the Eagles records to 12-6-0-1, while with the loss, the Gold Miners fell to 2-16-0-2.
