Photos: Northern Exposures Photography
ELLIOT LAKE, Ont. – A goal-filled Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League matchup Friday at Rogers Arena saw the Blind River Beavers outscore the Elliot Lake Vikings 7-5.
The Beavers wasted little time in converting on an early power play as Jake Bond notched his seven goal of the season 72 seconds in as he snapped in a rebound from the left side off a Ryder Hill chance that beat Vikings’ starter Jacob Kirstein.
Coming back to tie it at 3:38, Elliot Lake defenceman Alessandro Raponi’s harmless looking attempt bounced off the end boards then skipped out front where it clipped off just acquired netminder Édouard Blais, making his NOJHL debut, and in.
Connecting on the man advantage once more, the visitors regained the lead at 5:39 as an Ilian Danilov shot from the slot hit off Caleb Walker battling in front and found the corner for his third of the campaign.
Heading to the second stanza, Blind River went up by a pair early as Hill broke out of his own zone and darted up ice on a two-on-one with Alex Ivanov and finished off a return feed by going right-to-left and depositing a backhand.
Adding another, Colton Wilkinson’s first NOJHL marker made it 4-1 as he whipped in a shot from the left circle moments after Hill rang a shot off the post.
Armando Rojo-Bolton got one back for the Vikings with still over a half a game to play when he drove to the net late into a man advantage and while driving across the crease tucked in his first of the season.
The goals kept coming from there as Danilov clicked for Blind River with a backhand during another power play before Alexsander Duguay replied for Elliot Lake by knocking in a loose puck in close.
Inching closer early in the third, Rojo-Bolton picked up his second of the night 27 seconds in as he put one in from a sharp angle.
Regrouping, Ivanov on the power play and Bond at even strength helped extend the cushion for the guests, who went up by three.
Some late Vikings pressure on a six-on-three, which included their goalkeeper out, saw Chase Pouchnik finish off a chance from the left of Blais in the final minute.
The Beavers held on from there though to wrap-up the road victory.
