FRENCH RIVER, Ont. – Josh Boucher’s second goal of the game, coming on the power play with four and a half minutes left in regulation, was the game-winner as the Espanola Express rallied to edge the French River Rapids 4-3 Tuesday night in a Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League exhibition contest at Noelville Arena.
Each side would score once in the opening frame with Kyle Avery putting French River in front before Nelson Elie- Manguereka drew Espanola level before the session was complete.
Alex Moore then gave the Rapids the lead once more in the second stanza before Zachary Matyasik answered again for the Express.
Back and forth they went with a Brandon Hass man advantage effort putting the home side into the lead for a third time late in the period.
In the third, the visitors battled to tie it once more off the stick of Boucher at 3:17 before he notched the decider in the latter stages of regulation.
Nikolaos Menetas and Andrew Rocha split duties in net for Espanola in the triumph making 19 saves apiece.
Rapids’ goaltenders Sebastian Woods and Ben Montgomery saw time between the pipes seeing a combined 31 shots in the narrow setback.