NOJHL West suffers 1st setback at Eastern Canada Cup

QUINTE WEST, Ont. – A Tyler Davis deflection goal 24 seconds into the final period proved to be the game-winner as Ontario Junior Hockey League Nieuwendyk went on to defeat Team Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League West 2-0 early Tuesday evening in Day 2 play at the Eastern Canada Cup All-Star Challenge at Duncan McDonald Memorial Gardens in Trenton.

A hotly contested opening 20 minutes in the two-period game saw both OJHL Nieuwendyk starter Jack Watson
along with Garret Boyonoski (Blind River Beavers) of NOJHL West make 15 and 13 saves respectively in the session to keep it scoreless.

The OJHL side came out quickly in the final session though and took the lead early as they kept a couple of clearing attempts in the zone that eventually allowed Davis to redirect a left point shot that eluded Boyonoski.

Picking up a power play and a chance to try and tie it, it was Team Nieuwendyk that capitalized while shorthanded however with Alton McDermott taking a Rocco Andreacchi feed on a two-on-one and made a quick deke to his right and stuffed the puck past the outstretched pad of Boyonoski at 5:52.

Neither side would connect offensively the rest of the way with Watson finishing with 21 saves to post the shutout while Boyonoski made 24 stops in a losing cause.

With the outcome, NOJHL West falls to 2-1 in the 12-team tourney and will now await for the conclusion of round robin play Wednesday to see if they qualify for tomorrow’s semifinals.

Meanwhile, NOJHL East (0-2) wraps up their participation in the Eastern Canada Cup Wednesday morning at 9 a.m. as they take on OJHL Coffey (1-1).

Every Eastern Canada Cup All-Star Challenge games are streamed online at HockeyTV.com.

GAME SUMMARY

Photo credit: Tim Bates, OJHL Images