GALLERY: Gold Miners rally with lengthy shootout triumph over Crunch

Photos – Allyson Demers

KIRKLAND LAKE, Ont. – Ian McDonald notched the lone marker in an eight-round shootout to help the Kirkland Lake Gold Miners rally for a 4-3 victory over the Cochrane Crunch in Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League play Saturday at Joe Mavrinac Community Complex.

Kirkland Lake got on the board first just past the midway mark of the first period when Ian McDonald collected his third goal of the season with assists going to Christian Shields and Andronique and Stepanian.

Countering, the Crunch came back to tie it at 14:21 thanks to an unassisted effort by Liam Boswell who scored for the sixth time and seven outings.

Building on that, Cochrane took the lead before the intermission compliments of Nolan Bull notching his initial NOJHL tally, which came at 18:47.

Action in the second stanza, saw guests extend their cushion 12 minutes in as Mark Hill scored to make it 3-1 with an assist going to Alexander Thompson.

Early in the third, the Gold Miners’ Christian Shields was awarded a penalty shot and the first-year forward make no mistake as be beat Crunch starter Ben DiGiallonardo for his first NOJHL goal.

The hosts then drew level half way through the period as Alex McDonald notched the equalizer.

After the five-minute overtime failed to provide a winner, in went to extra shots to decide things.

There, 16 attempts in total were taken, but Ian McDonald was the only one to convert as his tally gave the hosts the extra point on the night.

Kirkland Lake’s Glen Crandall picked up the win while DiGiallonardo helped the Crunch earn one point in the setback.