ESPANOLA, Ont. – A pair of Cameron Shanks strikes in the third period lifted the Greater Sudbury Cubs to a 5-4 road victory over the Espanola Paper Kings in a Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League Sunday matinee at the Regional Recreation Complex.
Needing less than two minutes to notch their NOJHL-leading 100th goal of the season, Greater Sudbury went in front on a play that saw Samuel Assinewai take the puck around the net then put it towards the net where a waiting Oliver Smith was there to chip it high over Espanola starter Jake Marois.
Up a skater later in the first period, the Cubs extended their edge when Kyloe Ellis put in a pass into the slot that was quickly redirected in by Pierson Sobush for his 12th of the campaign at 12:25.
Action in the middle session saw the Paper Kings cut into the deficit during a two-man advantage thanks to Benjamin Lacroix jamming in a loose puck during a goal-mouth scramble.
Espanola then tied it at 14:42 when Yan Bessette scored for a fourth straight contest and also extended a consecutive game point streak to nine as he lifted in a backhand from the left of Greater Sudbury goalkeeper Noah Beaulne.
Capping off their solid stanza, the Paper Kings took a 3-2 lead in the final moments of the frame as they broke out on a two-on-one and saw Bessette set-up Lucas Signoretti for a close-range marker moments before piling into Beaulne.
Striking shorthanded early in the third, the Cubs’ Graeme Siren’s lob out of his own zone sent Smith in alone on a breakaway where he collected his second of the contest, with a blocker side wrist shot at 1:43.
However, Espanola came right back to regain the lead just 11 seconds later on a Graydon Guthrie goal as he came down the left side untouched and ripped in his third of the season.
Back and forth they went and saw Shanks tie the score once more as he went upstairs from close range on Marois.
Shanks then got the eventual difference maker with 6:37 remaining as he powered down the left wing and picked the short side corner to round out the day’s scoring
With the outcome first overall Greater Sudbury raised their record to 17-4-2-0 while the Paper Kings dropped to 10-8-1-2 I defeat.
