North Bay netminder Dodds score goal; picks up playoff win

NORTHERN ONTARIO JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE

NOJHL COMMUNICATIONS
MEDIA RELEASE

Release Date: Saturday, April 6, 2013

North Bay netminder Dodds score goal picks up playoff win

KIRKLAND LAKE – North Bay Trappers netminder Greg Dodds did it all Saturday making 21 saves and also scoring an empty net goal, in the late stages, to help lead his club to a 5-2 victory over the Kirkland Lake Gold Miners Saturday in game 4 of their Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League semifinal at the Joe Mavrinac Community Complex.

With the win the Trappers now lead the best-of-seven series 3-1 and will have an opportunity to wrap it up and join the Soo Thunderbirds in the NOJHL finals as they host the Gold Miners Monday in game 5 at Memorial Gardens. Face-off in that one is set for 7 p.m.

Each side found the back of the net in the opening frame with Brennen Dubchak connecting for North Bay at 7:39 while Tanner Lafrance countered for Kirkland Lake with a power play effort midway through the session.

A man advantage marker by Dubchak and an even strength tally by Graham Pickard 10 seconds later put the visitors up a pair.

Jeremy Picard-Fiset pulled the Gold Miners to with one with another extra man effort at 9:48 of the stanza.

The score stayed that way until the final 30 seconds when Kirkland Lake pulled goalkeeper Chris Komma in favour of an extra attacker in an effort to notch the equalizer.

However it was Dodds who corralled a Kirkland Lake dump-in from behind his own net and then proceeded to fire the puck down the length of the ice and into the empty net at 19:43 to accomplish the rare feat.

Wrapping things up, North Bay’s Stephen Langford the stole the puck in the neutral zone in the waning moments and walked in on a breakaway and made no mistake beating Komma with a second to go.

Brandon Janke chipped in with a pair of assists to aid the Trappers offensive cause in the game they held the edge in shots on goal by a 23-22 margin.

Should the Gold Miners force a sixth game, it will go Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. back in Kirkland Lake.

NOJHL Playoffs: Round 2
Semifinals

Series D
No. 1 North Bay Trappers vs. No. 4 Kirkland Lake Gold Miners

Trappers lead best-of-seven series 3-1

Game 1: North Bay 2 Kirkland Lake 1 (OT)
Game 2: Kirkland Lake 2 North Bay 1
Game 3: North Bay 3 Kirkland Lake  2 (OT)
Game 4: North Bay 5 Kirkland Lake 2
Game 5: Monday, April 8 @ North Bay 7 p.m. (Memorial Gardens)
Game 6*: Tuesday, April 9 @ Kirkland Lake 7:30 p.m. (Joe Mavrinac)
Game 7*: Thursday, April 11 @ North Bay 7 p.m. (Memorial Gardens)

* – if necessary

Series E
No. 2 Soo Thunderbirds vs. 3 Sudbury Nickel Barons
Thunderbirds win best-of-seven series 4-0

Game 1: Soo 4 Sudbury 1
Game 2: Soo 2 Sudbury 1
Game 3: Soo 9 Sudbury 2
Game 4: Soo 3 Sudbury 1