Photos: Caleigh Fera – Points North Media
SUDBURY, Ont. – Riding the strength of a four-goal second period barrage, the red-hot Greater Sudbury Cubs powered their way to a 10th consecutive Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League win Thursday, a 5-1 victory over the Timmins Rock, in a match-up held at Gerry McCrory Countryside Sports Complex.
Featuring the top two teams, in terms of winning percentage, in the NOJHL, a tight-checking opening session saw the clubs hit the intermission still in search of a tally.
Action in the second stanza saw Greater Sudbury break the deadlock eight and a half minutes in as Cameron Shanks cycled his way out of the corner and fired a feed into the slot where Noah Kohan quickly whipped a one-timer from between the circles by Timmins netminder
Dryden Riley.
Going up by a pair, the Cubs clicked on a power play at 11:41 as Mason Walker put a pass across to Samuel Assinewai, who pumped it past an outstretched Riley.
Not done there, Greater Sudbury went up 3-0 as they pressured a turnover in the Rock zone which allowed Assinewai to set-up Lucas Signoretti, who buried his in-close chance for his league-leading 13th tally of the campaign, and run a point streak to seven in succession.
The Cubs then clicked once more on a man advantage to go up by four after 40 minutes as Assinewai snagged a loose puck off an Alex Valade point attempt and lifted a backhand into the left corner of the net.
Up a skater to commence the final frame, Timmins capitalized early off a miscue which allowed Lucas Lowe to move in and snap a shot over the glove of Noah Beaulne in the first minute.
Getting that back, just acquired forward Jacob Lamoureux started a play in his own end, then raced up ice where Walker neatly laid a pass across that he took and wired by Riley’s blocker at 4:56.
That would cap-off the evening’s scoring as Beaulne came away victorious in his sixth straight start, helping Greater Sudbury continue their winning ways and improve to 11-1-1-1 overall.
In defeat, Timmins fell to 8-3-0-0.
