FRENCH RIVER – Goals from four different skaters Sunday, inspired by a quick start, helped the Espanola Paper Kings to go on and double up the French River Rapids 4-2 in a Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League encounter at Noelville Arena.
Making an early statement, Espanola banged in two tallies in the game’s first 95 seconds to gain the upper hand.
Noah Logan began the outburst as he got the final crack off a multiple in-close chances in front of French River Matis Bureau-Morel.
The Paper Kings then came right back and added another with Luc Warner finding himself wide open in front, where he spun and slid in a low shot for his sixth of the season.
They then got a shorthanded effort off the stick of Jason Galante at 3:53 as he was sent in alone on a breakaway where he roofed a shot into the top right corner.
With that, the Rapids made a goaltending change as Keiran Caughran entered in long relief.
Getting one back before the first intermission, French River’s Cole McGuire snagged a clearing attempt at centre ice then busted into Espanola territory down the left wing and moved it over to Jake Giacoppi who snapped it past netminder Logan Vale.
The Rapids then made it 3-2 a couple of minutes into the middle session when Nolan McVeigh lifted a shot from the point that clipped off teammate Noah Saye and sailed into the net for his first NOJHL goal.
Tightening up from there the scoreline remained the same moving into the second intermission.
In the third period, Espanola went back up by a pair at 6:26 when Cameron Menard notched his league-leading 30th marker by roofing it from the top of the crease.
That proved to be the final tally of the contest as the Paper Kings skated off for the road win.
This gives fifth place Espanola a record of 18-11-0-1 while 11th seeded French River sinks to 4-24-0-1.
