FRENCH RIVER – A three-goal second period helped the Kirkland Lake Gold Miners build up a lead they would not relinquish before eventually prevailing 5-3 versus the French River Rapids in Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League play Saturday night at Noelville Arena.
The hometown Rapids began the scoring 13:49 in when Jacob Cantin took a feed in the slot and pumped it past Gold Miners’ starter Brian Rathwell to give him goals in back-to-back outings.
Pulling even on a power play two minutes later, Owen O’Grady’s first in the NOJHL saw him snag an attempt that off the end boards that he collected in the right circle and wired it in before French River’s Keiran Caughran could get across his crease.
An initial league marker for Daniel Risu gave Kirkland Lake the lead four minutes into the middle frame when his side countered quickly in transition that allowed him to take a pass while driving down the left wing where he ripped a rising short-side sizzler into the top left corner.
Tacking on two more in the back half of the session saw the Gold Miners take a 4-1 lead into the second intermission.
Jordan Fitgar connected after picking off an errant clearing pass and wiring it in before Fynn Manttari clicked by knocking in a rebound off his own earlier shot.
Responding on a five-on-three early in the third, Tristan Kitchen snapped a shot upstairs from close range then scored again just over a minute later by pumping in a rebound at the top of the crease for his first two league markers.
Looking to tie it, French River pushed hard for an equalizer in the late going with their goalkeeper out for an extra attacker, however Kirkland Lake sealed the outcome with a long-range empty netter from below their own goal line off the stick of Nathan Harper to wrap things up.
