NORTHERN ONTARIO JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
NOJHL MEDIA UPDATE
Release Date: Saturday, March 21, 2015
Cochrane advances to East Division final
IROQUOIS FALLS – The Cochrane Crunch are moving on the East Division final in the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League playoffs.
Cochrane got a pair of goals from Josh Racek and the game-winning marker from Dustin Cordeiro early in the third period as they defeated the Abitibi Eskimos 5-3 Saturday in Game 6 of their series with the Abitibi Eskimos at Jus Jordan Arena to take the best-of-seven affair 4-2.
The Crunch will now await the winner of the other East playoff match-up between Powassan and Kirkland Lake with the Voodoos leading that series 3-2 heading in Game 6 in that one Sunday at 7:30 p.m. at the Powassan Sportsplex.
Jason Berube staked Cochrane to the lead with the lone tally of the first courtesy of Jason Berube.
Racek made it 2-0 four and a half minutes into the middle session before Brennan Roy got the Eskimos on the board at 8:01.
Ryan Fletcher countered that before the session was complete to give the visitors a 3-1 lead entering the third.
Cordeiro extended the Crunch cushion 3:21 into the final frame only to see Abitibi battle back with markers from Tristan Salesse and Roy to make it 4-3 with just over eight minutes to play.
The Crunch put the game away late however as Racek capped off the road and series win by scoring with 25 seconds remaining.
Cordeiro had two assists for a three-point night while Cody Gratton had a pair of helpers of his own for Cochrane.
Brett Young made 26 saves in net for the Crunch to pick up the win while Logan Ferrington had 29 stops in defeat for the Eskimos in the season-ending defeat.
East semifinal 2
No. 2 Cochrane Crunch vs. No. 3 Abitibi Eskimos
Crunch win best-of-seven series 4-2
Game 1: Cochrane 5 Abitibi 2
Game 2: Cochrane 5 Abitibi 4 (OT)
Game 3: Abitibi 4 Cochrane 2
Game 4: Cochrane 4 Abitibi 1
Game 5: Abitibi 6 Cochrane 2
Game 6: Cochrane 5 Abitibi 3
