NORTHERN ONTARIO JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
NOJHL NETWORK MEDIA UPDATE
Release Date: Sunday, Sept. 4, 2016
Photo credit: Katherine Leonard
Kingston Voyageurs crowned inaugural Polar Bear Classic champions
COCHRANE, Ont. – The Kingston Voyageurs (OJHL) rode the strength of three goals from Danny Bosio to help them clip the Cochrane Crunch 5-1 in the championship game of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League’s Polar Bear Classic preseason tournament Sunday evening at the Tim Horton Event Centre.
The Ontario Junior Hockey League club from Kingston opened the scoring 3:10 into the contest as Bosio took a feed from behind the net and stuffed the night’s opening tally past Cochrane netminder Leighton Williams.
Taking advantage while briefly up two-men, the Voyageurs added to their lead as Bosio collected his second of the stanza redirecting an Evan Hunt shot from the left point midway through the period.
Using the power play to their benefit again, Kingston went up 3-0 at 15:31 of the frame with Josh Leblanc extending his team’s cushion.
Darian Overland ran the visitors lead to four early into the middle stanza as his sharp-angle shot beat Williams low.
The Crunch got on the board seven and a half minutes into the frame as Connor Lovie walked into a one-timer from his right defensive position blasting home a clean face-off win by Rory Milne short side on Voyageurs starter Jeremy Wassan.
Kingston came right back however and regained their four-goal margin as Bosio deposited his third of night a couple shifts later in what would be the final tally of the tournament.
Rob Clerc dished out three assists to aid the Vees offensive cause.
In winning the first-ever Polar Bear Classic, Kingston ran the table, going a perfect 6-0 in the five-team tourney.
Shots on goal on the evening favoured the Voyageurs 45-30.
The NOJHL will now gear up for the start of the 2016-17 regular season, which gets underway Friday on five fronts.
Espanola hosts Blind River, Elliot Lake entertains Powassan, Kirkland Lake is at home to French River, the Soo Eagles welcome the Rayside-Balfour Canadians and Cochrane takes on Iroquois Falls back at the Tim Horton Event Centre with all five match-ups having a 7:30 p.m. start time.
Polar Bear Classic Schedule/Results
@ Tim Horton Event Centre – Cochrane, Ont.
Thursday, Sept. 1
Iroquois Falls 5 Espanola 4
Kingston (OJHL) 3 Cochrane 2
Friday, Sept. 2
Cochrane 5 Iroquois Falls 4
Kingston (OJHL) 4 Kirkland Lake 2
Iroquois Falls 3 Kirkland Lake 2
Espanola 6 Cochrane 5
Saturday, Sept. 3
Kingston (OJHL) 4 Iroquois Falls 1
Espanola 4 Kirkland Lake 3
Kingston (OJHL) 6 vs. Espanola 3
Cochrane 3 Kirkland Lake 1
Sunday, Sept. 4
Semifinal A: Kingston (OJHL) 5 Espanola 4
Semifinal B: Cochrane 7 Iroquois Falls 1
Final: Kingston (OJHL) 5 Cochrane 1
