COCHRANE Ont. – Kirkland Lake Gold Miners goaltender Cade McEwen turned in a solid 49-save performance to backstop his club to a narrow 3-2 victory over the Cochrane Crunch Friday night in Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League action at Tim Horton Event Centre.
Cochrane did pick-up the lone marker of the first period thanks to an Alex Brisson effort at 7:17.
Kirkland Lake drew level in the latter stages of the second stanza thanks to Tyler Fyfe’s team-leading 23rd goal of the season.
The Crunch blasted 20 attempts on McEwen in that middle period, but they could not solve him in the session
Building on that momentum, Sam Ellwood put the Gold Miners in front 4:10 into the third period before Vito Sica struck shorthanded at 6:13 as his first NOJHL goal proved to be the game-winner.
Cochrane did get one back during a late power play with 28 seconds remaining in regulation off a Thomas Nernandez blast, but McEwen’s efforts prevented the Crunch from tying it and forcing overtime to give the road side an important away decision.
Taylor Unruh faced 18 shots in a losing cause for Cochrane.