Photos: Rob Fera – Points North Media
SUDBURY, Ont. – Last season’s Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League most valuable player, Lucas Signoretti, made a positive impression in his Greater Sudbury Cubs preseason debut Thursday, by notching a hat trick, in a 6-4 victory over the Blind River Beavers at Gerry McCrory Countryside Sports Complex.
Notching the night’s initial tally, 2:38 into the contest, Greater Sudbury kept a play in the Blind River zone and saw No. 12 Lucas Antonioni put a pass in front that Tannen Iserhof scooped up and stuffed it through the legs of Beavers’ starter Wylen Cambensy.
Adding another late in the session, the Cubs pressured a turnover deep in Blind River territory, which allowed Iserhof to slide a cross-crease feed that left a tap-in for Signoretti, who was acquired last month from the Espanola Paper Kings.
Moving to the middle stanza, the home side went up by three early as they broke out in numbers while shorthanded and had Mason Chitaroni provide Signoretti a close-range backhand for his second of the night.
Still on the power play however, the Beavers used some crisp puck movement, which eventually led to Leighton Hurst blasting a one-timer from the top of the right circle that was ripped by Greater Sudbury goalkeeper Noah Beaulne.
Regrouping, the hosts went back up by three off some sustained force, which allowed a diving Ryan Rubic to score.
Not letting up, Greater Sudbury’s Samuel Assinewai powered his way around the net and proceeded to jam in a wraparound to make it 5-1.
A Beavers’ goaltending change saw Bronx Bodnar enter in relief near the midway mark of the match-up.
Countering, the visitors broke out on a two-on-one saw Jack Kruiderink neatly set-up Dan McLaughlin, who in turn whipped his chance by Beaulne.
Notching another, Levi Lux made it 5-3 as his buried a pass from teammate Isaiah Allen off an odd-man burst.
In the final frame, Signoretti completed his three-goal night by picking up his new club’s second man-down marker of the evening, with seven and a half minutes to go.
Continuing to battle, the Beavers’ Hurst collected his second power play tally by sending in another sizzler from the right side.
That would be it offensively however prior to time expiring.
The two teams will complete a home-and-home Saturday in a 6:30 p.m. start at the Blind River Community Centre.
