TIMMINS, Ont. – A Mason Svarich power play goal, 5:42 into the third period, proved to be the difference as the Timmins Rock came back to defeat the Iroquois Falls Storm 3-2 Friday in a Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League contest at McIntyre Arena.
After a scoreless opening 20 minutes, Iroquois Falls took the lead 3:12 into the middle stanza, while up a skater, when Andre Cho came out from behind the net and stuffed a backhand into the open corner on Timmins’ netminder Riley Dryden.
The Storm then added another man advantage effort nine minutes later as Max Jugnauth jumped on a rebound and jammed it in from the top of the crease.
The Rock were quick to respond to that however as Jack Anderson scored 30 seconds later by winning a race down ice to the puck and making a nice move to his left then lifting his chance high over Iroquois Falls goalkeeper Brodie Haylock.
Timmins then tied it at 19:28 when Brant Romaniuk pumped one upstairs from the left circle off a face off won right back to him by Kaeden McArthur.
Completing the comeback in the third, Svarich supplied the game-winner as he waited patiently at the left point before moving in and ripping a rocket into the top corner for his 14th of the season.
Winning his sixth straight start, Riley helped the Rock raise their overall record to 14-8-2-0 overall.
With the narrow loss, the Storm slipped to 7-19-0-1.
The two clubs will cap-off a weekend home-and-home Saturday at Jus Jordan Arena in Iroquois Falls at 7 p.m., and on FLOHockey.tv.
Game Photos:
Thomas Perry – The Daily Press/Postmedia Network
