ELLIOT LAKE, Ont. – Nick Long’s second goal of the game, coming with just over three minutes remaining in regulation, proved to be the difference maker as the Elliot Lake Wildcats went on to double up the Blind River Beavers 4-2 in a Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League affair Friday night at Centennial Arena.
Blind River did get off to a good start as Josh Norman’s sixth tally of the campaign put the visitors in front at 4:26.
The first man advantage chance of the evening allowed the Wildcats to level the affair at 11:04 with Long picking up his initial marker of the contest.
Each side would score once in the middle session with Jacob Kelly connecting for Elliot Lake at 14:56 only to see the Beavers’ Dylan McMahon connect via the power play before the period was complete.
It stayed tied 2-2 until the latter stages of the third when Long buried the game-winner as he supplied his 18th goal of season.
Kelly then finished it off with an empty netter just before time expired as his 24th overall rounded out the scoring.
William Bucsis had another solid night offensively for the Wildcats as he doled out three assists in the victory as his 34 helpers overall tie him for second among all league skaters in that category.
Elliot Lake netminder Logan Sawka was solid making 43 saves to pick-up the win while Cam Bruggrabe faced 39 shots in a losing cause for Blind River in his first start of the season in the NOJHL.
