Timmins Rock forward Nolan Ring pulls prepares to pull the puck around Soo Eagles goalie Logan Raffaele before depositing it in the back of the net for one of his two goals during Friday night’s NOJHL game at the McIntyre Arena. Ring hit the 20-goal plateau for the first time in his NOJHL career as the Rock went on to defeat the Eagles 6-3. They will host the French River Rapids at the McIntyre Arena on Sunday, at 3 p.m. THOMAS PERRY/THE DAILY PRESS
TIMMINS, Ont. – The Timmins Rock saw Nolan Ring tally twice, including collecting the game-winner, to help his team double-up the visiting Soo Eagles 6-3 Friday in Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League play in front of nearly 800 fans at McIntyre Arena.
A Sault Ste. Marie power play midway through the first period saw the guests open the scoring as Jack Mortson made a nice rush into Timmins territory and while driving to the net from the left side, saw him backhand in his team-leading 27th tally of the campaign past netminder Patrick Boivin.
The Rock came right back to tie it however moments later when Yan Bessette steered in a feed from Nicolas Pigeon on a two-on-one.
With the assist, Pigeon extended a consecutive-game point streak to 16 in succession.
Timmins came out fast to commence the second stanza and struck twice before the session was a minute in.
Ring notched the first one after his side picked off a pass in the neutral zone then countered quickly where he took his chance wide and tucked it past the pad of Eagles’ goalkeeper Logan Raffaele.
Picking up a man advantage seconds later, the Rock went up by two thanks to Brady Harroun’s league-leading 43rd with a patented one-timer from the right side as he buried a Pigeon cross-ice pass.
Getting one back at 2:07, the Soo pulled to within 3-2 when Chase Tallaire took a play to the net from the left wing and banked a shot off the skate of a Timmins’ defenceman and into the opener corner for his 16th.
Regaining their two-goal lead, Ring racked up his second of the night, and 20th overall, as he once again went to the net, and on this chance, took it left to right, before stuffing the puck past Raffaele.
Trading tallies late in the period, Pigon potted one on the power play as he took a Kenyon Nyman pass and went top shelf, blocker side, for his 22nd goal.
Tallaire answered that however at 19:14 with his second of the session, when he wired a shot from the side boards that eluded Boivin.
In the final frame, the Rock’s Kaeden McArthur capped off the night’s scoring with just under nine minutes remaining as he finished off a rebound from a Nyman attempt from the right side that came to him following a right pad save by Raffaele.
The win sees league-leading Timmins improve to 41-7-3-2 overall while the Michigan Soo slipped to 21-26-4-1.
Game Photos:
Thomas Perry – The Daily Press/Postmedia Network
