CHELMSFORD, Ont. – Rayside-Balfour Canadians goaltender David Bowen turned aside all 38 shots he faced to post his third career Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League shutout as his side blanked the Blind River Beavers 3-0 Thursday at Chelmsford Arena.
A hard-fought first frame saw the Beavers out shoot the Canadians 9-7, but neither side would connect offensively.
Rayside-Balfour would break the deadlock late in the middle stanza as Giordano Biondi, who represented the NOJHL at Tuesday’s Canadian Junior Hockey League Prospects Game in Hamilton, Ont., struck shorthanded with 51 seconds remaining in the period as the hosts carried a 1-0 lead into the final intermission.
A late power play helped the Canadians add some insurance as Zachary Snow potted his sixth of the year with 2:47 remaining in regulation.
Then Brett Jacklin’s first of the campaign, coming in his season debut, rounded out the scoring as he put one into an empty net to secure the Rayside-Balfour victory.
The triumph was the 25th of Bowen’s NOJHL carer while Blind River goaltender Dominic Boily made 33 stops in defeat.
The result sees the 27-10-3-1 Canadians move to within two points of the now 28-10-1-3 Beavers in the league’s West Division standings, while also holding a game in hand.
