PHOTOS : Caleigh Fera – Sudbury Light Event Photography
SUDBURY, Ont. – Breaking out with a trio of first period tallies, including a pair from Oliver Smith, led the Greater Sudbury Cubs to a 5-1 win over the Blind River Beavers Monday night in the third contest of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League’s West Division Final at Gerry McCrory Countryside Sports Complex.
This sees Greater Sudbury take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven set heading to Game 4 Tuesday night back in Sudbury at 7:05 p.m.
A great start for the Cubs saw them open the scoring 57 seconds into the match-up.
That came about when Ethan Larmand came down the left side and put a shot on target that was stopped by the pad by the Beavers’ Noah Tegelaar, then saw Smith swoop in and bury the rebound.
Adding to their lead at 14:22 of the first, Nolan Newton knocked a play down in his own zone, then sent a long pass up to Hudson Chitaroni who went in alone, cut to his right, and lifted a backhand over Tegelaar.
Great Sudbury kept coming and notched a third in the session moments later with Smith tipping in a Mason Chitaroni point shot off a failed Blind River clearing attempt.
It was more from the home side early in the middle frame when Newton powered his way in and sizzled a shot into the right corner.
The Beavers eventually solved Cubs’ netminder Noah Metiver with an Andrey Manov man advantage marker well into the second as he pumped one in high-glove at 14:42.
Answering that in the third, Cameron Walker won a draw to Cameron Shanks, who buried his chance from the left circle past a screened Tegelaar, to round out the scoring.
NOJHL West Final
Greater Sudbury Cubs vs. Blind River Beavers
Greater Sudbury leads best-of-seven series 2-1
Game 1: Cubs 2 Beavers 1
Game 2: Beavers 6 Cubs 2
Game 3: Cubs 5 Beavers 1
Game 4: Tuesday, April 9 @ Sudbury 7:05 p.m. (Gerry McCrory Countryside Sports Complex)
Game 5: Thursday, April 11 @ Blind River 7 p.m. (Blind River Community Centre)
Game 6*: Sunday, April 14 @ Sudbury 7:35 p.m. (Gerry McCrory Countryside Sports Complex)
Game 7*: Tuesday, April 16 @ Blind River 7 p.m. (Blind River Community Centre)
*-if necessary
