NORTHERN ONTARIO JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
NOJHL COMMUNICATIONS
MEDIA UPDATE
Release Date: Monday, March 3, 2014
Gold Miners double up Eskimos 4-2
IROQUOIS FALLS – Everett Thompson’s 20th goal of the season, early in the third period, proved to be the game-winner as the Kirkland Lake Gold Miners doubled up the Abitibi Eskimos 4-2 Monday evening in Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League action at Jus Jordan Arena.
The visitors snagged the lead 7:38 into the opening stanza courtesy of Austin Rust only to see the Eskimos respond on the power play eight and half minutes later when Brendan Locke finished off the work of Erik Robichaud and Ryan Tront.
Wilbur supplied the only tally of the middle session to put the Miners up by one through two periods of play.
Abitibi pulled even once again as Andrew Green found the back of the net 22 seconds into the final only to see Thompson notch the difference maker at 1:47 to put Kirkland Lake up for good.
Rust then added his second of the night as he scored during a man advantage at 15:08 to round out the night’s scoring.
Kenny Fitzgerald stopped 29 of 31 attempts fired his way to earn the victory for the Gold Miners, who pumped 39 pucks on Brody Wagner in a losing cause for the Eskimos.
With the win second place Kirkland Lake improved to 41-6-1-5 of the season.
They have three games remaining before the playoffs where they will meet North Bay in one of four league best-of-seven quarter-final series.
In defeat Abitibi dropped to 29-22-0-4 on the campaign to remain fourth overall.
The trail third place Espanola by one point with one game to go. The Rivermen still have three more contests on their slate as they hold the upper hand in the effort to clinch the No. 3 seed in the postseason.
NOJHL play resumes Wednesday as Espanola heads to McClelland Arena in Copper Cliff to take on the Sudbury Nickel Barons at 7:30 p.m.
