GALLERY: Rock rolls over Crunch

TIMMINS, Ont. – The Timmins Rock saw eight different skaters register multi-point nights as they went on to defeat the Cochrane Crunch 9-2 in Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League play Tuesday evening at McIntyre Arena.

It took the hometown Rock just seven seconds to open the night’s scoring as defenceman Aidan Farr rushed the puck into the Cochrane zone along the left boards and fired a feed in front that was redirected in by Tyler Gilberds past Crunch starter Michael Nickolau.

Coming right back, the visitors drew level a minute later as Ethan Ingram finished off a Matteo Peca set-up while cruising through the top of the crease.

Back and forth they went in the early going with Yan Bessette collecting his initial NOJHL marker at 2:35 by flipping the puck into the top right hand corner from the left of the net.

Not done there, Timmins tacked on two more midway through the session to go up by three.

Nolan Ring scored on a delayed penalty as he scooped up his own rebound in front and stuffed in his second chance into the open side.

Gilberds then added another by ripping a shot from the right circle during a Rock power play.

Cochrane matched that tally after Owen Canini sent a rising saucer pass that sent Peca in alone on Timmins’ netminder Gavin McCarthy where he darted down the left wing before cutting in and neatly tucking one in between his legs.

The Rock capped off the offensive outburst as Tyler Schwindt took a long stretch pass and sailed in on a breakaway where he zipped in sixth goal of the season.

Moving to the middle stanza, the hosts broke it open by striking three times to take an 8-2 lead into the second intermission.

The first one in the period came after Dylan McElhinny wheeled from behind the net and put a pass in front that was finished off by Cameron Dutkiewicz.

Continuing to convert offensively, Timmins’ blueliner Bode Dunford sailed one through a screen and in from the left point before Ring finished off a nice three-way passing play to add another to his tally total.

Liam Wells then wrapped up the one-sided result in the late going with his third of the campaign.

McCarthy made 18 stops to collect the win while Nickolau suffered the loss, facing 38 shots in two period of work.

Meanwhile Ben DiGiallonardo handled 12 of 13 attempts he saw in 20 minutes of relief in the third for the Crunch.


Game Photos:
Thomas Perry – 
The Daily Press/Postmedia Network