BLIND RIVER, Ont. – A significant milestone by their captain Caleb Serre was part of a 3-1 victory by the Blind River Beavers over the Kirkland Lake Gold Miners Friday evening in Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League play at the Blind River Community Centre.
The hometown Beavers opened the scoring 17 minutes into the contest as Serre registered his 200th NOJHL point with an assist on Andrew Malek’s fifth goal of the season.
According to files from NOJHL Historian David Harrison, Serre becomes just the second player in Blind River history to reach the 200-point plateau.
Serre is now just three points shy of becoming Blind River’s all-time leading scorer, trailing the 202 total points compiled by Drew MacMillan, who skated for the club between 2007 and 2011.
Serre has already set the Beavers’ franchise mark for career goals with 91 while his 109 assists put him just eight behind the 117 MacMillan racked up.
Midway through the second stanza, the hosts extended their lead, via the power play, as Justin Mauro made it 2-0 with half a game to play.
Kirkland Lake got back in it late in the frame as Connor Van Weelie’s seventh cut into the deficit with help from Landis Antonic and Cameron Neaylon.
It stayed 2-1 for Blind River until the final minute of regulation when a Milos Todorivic empty net tally helped secure the home ice decision.
Shots on goal favoured the Beavers by a 38-34 count with Jackson Hjelle picking up the win while Kyle McNair suffered the narrow defeat.