Photos: Northern Exposures Photography
ELLIOT LAKE, Ont. – A third period hat trick by Jesse Dupuis sent the Blind River Rivers on their way to a 5-2 victory versus the Elliot Lake Red Wings in Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League play Friday at Centennial Arena.
Blind River got going offensively, three minutes in the contest, as the puck came to Noah Aboflan off a scrambled draw in the slot as he spun and wired a shot high past Elliot Lake netminder Cameron Smith.
Answering back with an equalizer at 14:48 of the first, Red Wings’ defenceman Calum McGill cruised into the left circle and ripped over into the top right-hand corner, in beating Beavers’ goaltender Gavin Disano.
Regaining the lead before the middle session was a minute old, Evan Fraccaro banged in a rebound off a teammate’s one-timer from high slot that Smith could not locate in time.
Getting a nice bounce off the side boards, helped Dupuis bag his first of the night at 3:06 when the puck found its way on his stick and he made no mistake with a quick wrist shot.
Five minutes later he then added another by making a pass out in front that hit off a sliding Elliot Lake defender and found its way into the net.
The Red Wings’ Josh Tomasi got one back as his seeing-eye attempt from up high found its way through a maze in front to make it 4-2.
However, the Beavers answered that when Gavin Rocha picked one off in the neutral zone and darted in where he made a couple of dekes while being hauled down on a delayed penalty, but got enough on the play to score.
Dupuis then finished off his first NOJHL three-goal night before time expired as he made a couple of nice moves and converted from the top of the crease to round out the scoring.