Photos: Rob Fera – Points North Media
SUDBURY, Ont. – Riding the strength of a Kaden Wicklander natural hat trick, the Espanola Paper Kings went on to defeat the Elliot Lake Vikings 5-3 Tuesday in the opening game of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League Showcase being held at Gerry McCrory Countryside Sports Complex.
It was Espanola who opened the scoring at 15:38 mark of the first period when defenceman Anthony Georgiev jumped in from the point and fired a shot through traffic from the top of the left circle that found its way in past Elliot Lake netminder Jacob Kirstein.
Heading to the second stanza, the Paper Kings carried the majority of the play and were eventually rewarded deep in the session when Wicklander tallied twice to put them up 3-0 after 40 minutes.
On his initial marker, Wicklander broke out of his own zone with pace, then took a Carter Drigo feed that he took to his right and tucked a backhand past the pad of Kirstein.
He then connected again at 18:37 as he darted up ice through traffic, and after working his way in, got just enough of an attempt to squeak it in.
Moving to the final frame, a dynamic dash by Wicklander completed his three-goal outing as he drove through a pair of defenders, then lifted a shot high over the blocker of Kirstein.
Elliot Lake eventually solved Espanola goalkeeper Cameron Millar at 3:56 as Aleksander Duguay corralled a loose puck in the crease off an Alessandro Raponi attempt from the right point and while diving to his left, notched his third of the season.
The Paper Kings countered quickly to go back up by four thanks to Denver Mulligan as the rookie forward steered in a feed across from Wicklander who flew down the right wing to collect his fourth point of the matchup.
Striking shorthanded midway through the third, the Vikings’ Landen Lake-Rego went in on a two-on-one with Dylan Waduck, and after a return pass via a give-and-go, made a crafty move and deke before finishing it off low with a backhand into the bottom right corner.
Another from Elliot Lake in the final minute of regulation capped off the scoring as Jayden Becken chipped in a deflection from in close to pick up his first NOJHL goal.
Player of the Game nods for each side went to Wicklander and Kirstein.
