Nickel Barons take high-scoring affair to win 9th straight

NORTHERN ONTARIO JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE

NOJHL COMMUNICATIONS
MEDIA RELEASE

Release Date: Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2013

Nickel Barons take high-scoring affair to win 9th straight

SUDBURY – Goals were in abundance Wednesday evening in Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League action at McClelland Arena as the Sudbury Nickel Barons stormed back with four third period tallies to defeat the Blind River Beavers 8-6 and run a season-high win streak to nine games in the process.

The nine consecutive victories by Sudbury is currently the second highest active winning streak in the entire Canadian Jr. Hockey League.

At present only the Royal Bank Cup host Summerside Western Capitals in P.E.I. have won more in the row.

The Maritime Hockey League front runners hit double digits in their streak Wednesday after defeating the Miramichi Timberwolves 4-2 for their 10th straight victory.

In the NOJHL contest the Nickel Barons grabbed a 3-2 lead after one period of play on markers by David Lazarus, Brett Dusick and Martin Jolicoeur while Samuel Wilbur and Corey McEwen countered for the Beavers.

Blind River came out hard in the middle session to take a 5-4 cushion after 40 minutes thanks to tallies by Tyson MacLeod, Tyler Brown and Cray Roberge.

Replying for Sudbury in the stanza was Mathieu Lecavalier.

After Jolicoeur tied it 41 seconds into the third the Beavers answered right back a minute later to retake the lead courtesy of MacLeod’s second of the evening.

It was all Sudbury in the late going as Haines buried the equalizer at 14:22 notching his league-leading 30th goal of the season.

That set the stage for Cory Vaillancourt to wire home the game-winner with 2:40 to go.

Lecavalier struck again after that to add some insurance and complete the comeback for the home side as Sudbury raised their overall record to 22-11 with the victory.

Sebastien Leroux dished out three assists in a winning cause.

Michael Muzyka started for the Nickel Barons, but gave way to Alex Laino after the fourth Blind River goal.

Muzyka had 16 saves on the night while Laino turned aside 15 of 17 in relief to pick up the win.

Brock Crossthwaite was peppered with 53 shots in a losing cause for the Beavers who fell to 8-20-2-4 with the setback.