Bobcats upset Trappers; Thunderbirds stop Eskimos

NORTHERN ONTARIO JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE

NOJHL COMMUNICATIONS
MEDIA RELEASE

Release Date: Sunday, Oct. 7, 2012

Bobcats upset Trappers; Thunderbirds stop Eskimos

SUDBURY, Ont. – A pair of Sunday matinees in the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League saw the Elliott Lake Bobcats upset the North Bay Trappers while the Soo Thunderbirds knocked off the Abitibi Eskimos.

ELLIOT LAKE BOBCATS 3 NORTH BAY TRAPPERS 2 – A Dustin Cordeiro goal with 12:21 remaining was the difference as the Bobcats surprised the Trappers 3-2 at North Bay’s Memorial Gardens.

After a scoreless opening period North Bay struck quickly in the middle frame with Samuel Blanchet scoring on the power play at the 50-second mark.

The Trappers looked to carry that lead into the second intermission, but Cooper Lietch pulled the Bobcats level with just 11 seconds to go in the stanza.

Kyle Rowe then put Elliot Lake on top 5:41 into the third only to see notch their second man advantage marker of the afternoon less than a minute later courtesy of Cole Klippenstein.

However Cordeiro answered right back for the Bobcats burying the game-winner past North Bay netminder Dustin Hummel, who was making his first start of the season.

Thomas Graham turned in a 32-save performance to register the victory while Hummel had 16 stops in a losing for the Trappers.

SOO THUNDERBIRDS 7 ABITIBI ESKIMOS 3 – At Essar Centre the hometown Thunderbirds jumped out to a 3-1 lead after one period and never looked en route to their fourth consecutive victory.

After the Soo’s Derek Battagin and Abitbi’s Zach Innes exchanged early tallies the T-Birds got goals from Tyler Jones and Adam Ritchieto go up a pair.

Middle frame markers a minute and a half apart by Darcy Casola and Jones extended the cushion to 4-1 after 40 minutes.

Aaron Kerr pulled the Eskies to within two with an early third period strike, but Casola and Brandon Warmington, on the power play, put Sault Ste. Marie will into control.

Corey Dubbledam scored on the man advantage with one second remaining to round out the scoring on the day.

Josh Borgen played a major role in the triumph for the Thunderbirds dishing out four assists while Tyler Sehovic chipped in with a couple of helpers.

Joel Horodziejczyk kicked out 27 of 30 shots he faced to pick up the victory between the pipes for the Soo who fired 38 shots on Etienne Roy and Marc Audet, who both saw action in the Abitibi net.

NOJHL action resumes Wednesday as Sudbury hosts North Bay in a 7:30 p.m. start at McClelland Arena.