Photos: Northern Exposures Photography
ELLIOT LAKE, Ont. – The French River Rapids saw Daniel Petrov tally twice, including collecting the eventual game-winner, as part of a narrow 3-2 victory versus the Elliot Lake Vikings in a close Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League outing Saturday at Rogers Arena.
The Vikings carried the edge in shots on net in the opening 20 minutes, but could not solve Rapids’ starter William Popik, with Jayden Pierre also doing his part for the home side as the clubs went to the first intermission still tied at 0-0.
A quick start to begin the second stanza, Joshua Cook gave French River the lead in the first minute as he fired a shot from a sharp angle that clipped off a defender and went into the net.
Petrov then made it 2-0 at 2:10 when he tipped in a rising point attempt from Jeremy Clark.
Cutting into the deficit midway through the matchup, Elliot Lake’s Aidan Gray picked up his first NOJHL goal by taking a nice between the legs pass from Armando Rojo-Bolten before darting up ice and while using a defender as a screen, wired a low attempt into the bottom left corner.
In the third, the Rapids went back up by two when Petrov chopped in a loose puck laying in the crease at 7:20.
Getting their goalkeeper out in the late going for an extra attacker, the Vikings pushed hard to draw closer and saw Landen Lake-Rigo slam in a chance into the open side with seven seconds remaining.
They did get the puck back in the French River zone off the draw at centre ice, but time expired, with the Rapids snapping a lengthy losing streak in the process.
