Photos: Justin Cairns
SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. – Scoring twice in the final two minutes of regulation, then getting the game-winner 2:02 into overtime, propelled the Soo Eagles to a stunning 4-3 victory over the Timmins Rock in a Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League meeting Friday at Pullar Stadium.
Entering the night on a nine-game winning streak, the surging Rock kicked off the scoring when Rock Oosterveld cycled in the corner down low and put a pass in front that Edan Etheridge lifted in past Eagles’ netminder Dalton Hoornstra to give him points in seven straight outings.
Pulling even on a man advantage, shortly after a point-blank glove save by Timmins’ Ayden Mullen, Sault Ste. Marie’s Gabriel Clark took a cross-ice feed from Carter Huckson up top and cranked in a blast at 7:05.
Still tied deep into the second period, Etheridge notched another for his 15th of the campaign with a power play tally at 17:26 as he finished off a crisp cross-ice pass from Maxx Hamelin.
Extending their lead six minutes into the third, Evan Katic ran a heater of his own to nine straight outings as he chipped the puck past a Soo defender and went in on the left side where he put a shot through Hoornstra for a shorthanded effort.
Inching closer with their goaltender out for an extra attacker, Carter Huckson lifted a shot over the glove of Mullen with 1:59 to go.
Not done there, the Eagles struck again 17 seconds later to force extra time when Carter Huckson worked a quick give-and-go with Joshua Kelly before splitting the Rock defence and ripping in the equalizer.
Then completing the rally in dramatic fashion, the Soo’s Alex Povorozniouk hit the ice on a line change and while going to the net deflected in a Clark wrist shot to win it.
With the outcome, the Eagles improve to 12-5-1-2 overall and with their winning streak coming to an end, the Rock still collect a point in defeat while falling to 14-4-1-1.
