NORTHERN ONTARIO JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
MEDIA UPDATE
Release Date: Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2013
Gold Miners extend winning streak to 6
SUDBURY – The Kirkland Lake Gold Miners built up a 3-0 second period lead and eventually withstood a Sudbury Nickel Barons comeback bid to skate to a 4-3 victory Wednesday evening in Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League play at McClelland Arena.
The win was the sixth in succession Kirkland Lake, who matched a franchise mark for consecutive triumphs set earlier this season.
Andrew Bertrand and Zach Pease staked the Gold Miners to a two-tally cushion after one period.
Steven Babin extended the lead to three early in the middle stanza as he connected on the power play at 2:27.
Austin Veleke put Sudbury on the board 10 minutes later only to see Ryan Scherer restore the margin before the session was complete.
The Nickel Barons attempted to get back into contention just past the seven-minute mark of the third as Brody Brunet notched his seventh of the campaign.
In the late going Veleke struck again with 1:14 to go to make it interesting, the visitors held on from there to seal the victory.
Kenny Fitzgerald turned aside 30 of the 33 shots he faced to record the win for the Kirkland Lake as they improved to 17-2-0-1 overall.
Michael Muzyka was peppered with 43 pucks in defeat for the Nickel Barons who slipped to 6-13-0-3.
NOJHL action resumes Friday on two fronts.
One contest features the Abitibi Eskimos and Espanola Rivermen meeting in a neutral site affair at McIntyre Arena in Timmins while the Gold Miners put their six-game streak on the line at home vs. the Elliot Lake Bobcats who will come in with an organization-best five-game run of their own on the go.
