NORTHERN ONTARIO JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
NOJHL MEDIA UPDATE
Release Date: Friday, Feb. 6, 2015
Milestone marker for Gratton as Crunch clip Blackhawks
MATTAWA – Cody Gratton’s 50th goal on the season with with 2:19 remaining in regulation proved to be the game-winner as the Cochrane Crunch rallied to edge the Mattawa Blackhawks 5-4 in Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League play Friday at Mike Rodden Arena.
The hometown Blackhawks got off to a soid start in this one getting markers from Reed Gregory and Brett Ouderkirk to take a 2-0 lead with still half of the opening period to play.
Cochrane used the man advantage to get on the board with 4:43 left in the session as Joseph Mavrin finished off the work of Daniel Stagg and Anthony Filoso to cut the visitors deficit to one.
The Crunch tied it early in the second as Dylan Sakatch picked his first goal in a Cochrane uniform at 1:48 of the frame.
Mattawa retook the lead four minutes later as C.J. Nicholson beat Cochrane netminder Brett Young for his 14th tally of 2014-15.
The visitors drew level once again at 11:32 of the second as Henry Berger lit the lamp for the 10th time in 21 outings since joining the Crunch in November.
Berger then added another with 7:38 left in regulation as he struck shorthanded to put his side in front for the first time in the game.
Gratton then reached the half-century goal mark as the NOJHL’s leading scorer also recorded his eventual league-leading 10th game-winning tally of the campaign to extend Cochrane’s cushion.
David Osborne added one for the Blackhawks with 19.5 seconds remaining to round out the scoring on the night as the Crunch pulled out the road victory.
Gratton also chipped in with two assists as he raised his NOJHL-best point total to 85, including the 50 goals.
Young finished with 34 saves in earning the victory while Joe Sheppard faced 44 attempts in defeat for Mattawa.
