Photos: Hélène Rancourt
BLIND RIVER, Ont. – An early Eidan Macartney effort in overtime proved to be the decider as the Greater Sudbury Cubs edged the Blind River Beavers 4-3 in a Sunday afternoon Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League match-up at the Blind River Community Centre.
Opening the scoring 5:39 into the first period, a friendly hometown hop that went off the end boards, after a backhand dump-in by the Beavers’ Shyler McGahey caught Cubs starter Mateo Beites out of his net as the puck skipped out front and left Wyatt Jarratt with a tap in.
Running a point streak to five games, Nolan Newton pulled Greater Sudbury level later in the session when he scooped up a loose puck after a wrap around attempt from Macartney found its way at the top of the crease and lifted it in for his 11th goal in eight games.
Action in a chippy second stanza saw the home side retake the lead at 16:33 thanks to McGahey’s first NOJHL marker as he redirected in a left point blast from defenceman Leighton Hurst.
Pulling even once more, Kaedyn Long drew the Cubs level seven and a half minutes into the third when he swatted in the rebound on Blind River goalkeeper Mason Janicki off a Daks Klinkhammer shot.
The helper for Klinkhammer gives him points in eight straight outings.
More from Klinkhammer saw him strike on the power play as he wheeled out after skating along the boards and moved up to the point where he whipped one through traffic from just inside the blueline.
Countering less than two minutes later to force OT, Jonah McIndoo tied it for the Beavers as he corralled a loose puck in the neutral zone then fired the equalizer upstairs over a downed defender and by the glove of Beites.
Ending it just 21 seconds into the extra session, Macartney went hard to the net with the club’s skating three aside and steered in the game-winner off a cross-ice pass from Newton.
The victory raises the Cubs’ record to 6-5-0-0 while with a point in defeat the Beavers fall to 3-7-0-2.
