COCHRANE, Ont. – A Thomas Dimoulas power play tally late in the first period held up as the game-winner as the Elliot Lake Red Wings went on to defeat the Cochrane Crunch 4-2 Saturday night in a Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League get together at Tim Horton Events Centre.
Elliot Lake got the game’s first goal just over eight minutes in with Braden Vis finishing off his initial NOJHL marker with a quick snap shot in front of Cochrane netminder Marcus Ouellet.
Going to the power play, the Red Wings went up by a pair at 11:52 thanks to Calum McGill firing one upstairs from the top of the right circle, late into a two-man advantage.
Up a skater again late in the period, the visitors converted once more thanks to recently acquired Dimoulas putting one through Ouellet from in close.
The Crunch did get one back prior to the intermission when Christian Golic forced a turnover just inside the blueline and skated in where he beat Elliot Lake starter Sean Guerin.
Tightening up defensively, neither side would convert in a scoreless second stanza, and saw Red Wings carry their two-goal lead into the final frame.
There, Liam Boswell brought Cochrane closer by finishing off a two-on-one at 4:49, only to see Elliot Lake come right back and restore their two-goal lead 20 seconds later thanks to Zachary Vickerman picking off a giveaway and firing it through the legs of Ouellet.
There would be no further scoring the rest of the way as the visitors skated off with the away triumph.