NORTHERN ONTARIO JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
MEDIA UPDATE
Release Date: Friday, Nov. 22, 2013
Espanola wins in double OT over Kirkland Lake while Elliot Lake doubles up Abitibi
SUDBURY – Two games on the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League slate Friday saw the Espanola Rivermen edge the Kirkland Lake Gold Miners 2-1 in double overtime while the Elliot Lake Bobcats doubled up the Abitibi Eskimos on home ice.
ESPANOLA RIVERMEN 2 KIRKLAND LAKE GOLD MINERS 1 (2OT) – Brennan Dubchak buried his 20th goal of the season 46 seconds into double overtime to propel the Rivermen over the Gold Miners putting an end to Kirkland Lake’s franchise-best eight-game winning streak in a tightly contested match-up at the Espanola Regional Recreation Complex.
After a scoreless opening period the Gold Miners got on the board first as Everett Thompson beat Espanola starter Joakim Jutras at 3:51 of the middle stanza.
Duane Wainman then levelled the proceedings two and half minutes later on the power play to knot the score at 1-1.
It stayed that way through the third period and the five-minute first OT session before Dubchak scooped up the up puck in his own territory with the sides going three skaters aside as he raced down the right win and wired the winner past Kenny Thompson in the Kirkland Lake net to end it.
Shots on goal favoured Kirkland Lake 31-26 on the night as Espanola improved to 16-10 on the season.
With the point earned in extra time the Gold Miners moved into a share with the Soo Thunderbirds with 40 points apiece.
The Miners now hold a 19-2-0-2 record and still hold two games in hand on the T-Birds.
ELLIOT LAKE BOBCATS 6 ABITIBI ESKIMOS 3 – A three-goal second period propelled the hometown Bobcats over the visiting Eskimos at Centennial Arena.
Each side scored twice in the opening session with Andrew Palushaj and captain Kyle Rowe connecting for Elliot Lake while Jacob Kenney and Shane Hiley countered for Abitibi.
It was all Bobcats in the middle session as they took control on the scoreboard.
After Brett Wagner struck shorthanded, notching his league-leading 21st goal of the season, at 2:34, Ryan Fletcher and Dustin Cordeiro added later markers to put Elliot Lake up by three after 40 minutes.
Ryan Tront pulled the Eskimos closer with a man advantage effort early in the third, Rowe iced for the Bobcats scoring into an empty net with 16 seconds to go.
Shots on goal favoured Elliot Lake 47-32 with Alex Bitsakis picking up the win and Brody Wagner the loss.
Three league games are on tap Saturday with Kirkland Lake visiting Blind River, Elliot Lake at Sault Ste. Marie and Sudbury is at home to Abitibi in a trio of 7:30 p.m. starts.
