Photos: Caleigh Fera – Points North Media
SUDBURY, Ont. – A Mason Walker blast from the left circle 4:45 into overtime proved to be the game-winner as the Greater Sudbury Cubs withstood a valiant effort by the Kirkland Lake Gold Miners before prevailing 3-2 Thursday in a fiercely-contested Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League affair held at Gerry McCrory Countryside Sports Complex.
Despite a 22-point difference in the standings entering the proceedings, Kirkland Lake gave Greater Sudbury all they could handle throughout the night.
While the Cubs did hold the edge in terms of shots on goal in the first period, the session went scoreless thanks to Gold Miners’ affiliate goaltender Jayden Claveau, who was making his first NOJHL start, as well as just acquired netminder Iain Wintle, debuting for the Cubs.
Moving to the middle frame, Greater Sudbury opened the scoring at 4:22 when Noah Kohan moved to the top of the right circle from the side boards and lifted a shot through a screen that Claveau could not pick up.
A late skirmish in the final minute of the stanza resulted in the Gold Miners going to work on a five-on-three that led to an equalizer when Quinton Pagé, parked between the circles, neatly redirected a Vaive Hickey attempt high over the glove of Wintle.
Up two skaters again, Kirkland Lake took the lead just over four minutes into the third when Owen van de Ven pumped in a rebound off a Jake Williams chance from up top.
Still down a man, the Cubs struck shorthanded a minute later when Kaedyn Long dashed up-ice after a draw in his own end, then chased down the puck and after being initially denied by Claveau, whipped in the leftovers from the left of the crease to tie things up at 2-2.
A glorious chance to win it late in regulation saw the Gold Miners’ Tysen Anderson sent in alone on a breakaway, but Wintle came up big with a huge blocker save to help send it to extra time.
In OT, Greater Sudbury generated plenty of pressure and were rewarded with the difference maker when Spencer Horgan down low teed up Walker, who cranked in the deciding tally from the left face off dot to end it.
With the outcome, the Cubs improve to 21-6-1-1 on the season while a well-earned point for the Gold Miners saw their record go to 9-18-0-3.
