NORTHERN ONTARIO JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
NOJHL MEDIA UPDATE
Release Date: Saturday, March 21, 2015
Wildcats take series lead on Nickel Barons
ELLIOT LAKE – Aaron Carmichael and Connor Scott both tallied twice while A.J. Smith turned aside all 37 shots he faced to help lead the Elliot Lake Wildcats to a 6-0 victory over the Sudbury Nickel Barons in Game 5 of their Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League West Division semifinal Saturday at Centennial Arena.
With the result, the Wildcats have now won three straight contests and lead the best-of-seven set 3-2 heading into Game 6 Sunday at 7:30 p.m. at McClelland Arena in Copper Cliff.
Carmichael struck shorthanded 4:34 into the match-up notching the lone effort of the opening period in what turned out to be the game-winning goal.
Elliot Lake it blew it open in the middle session tacking on four more markers to go up by five after 40 minutes.
Carmichael and Scott made it 3-0 early in the second while Shane Woolsey and Scott added later goals to put the home side in command.
Kyle Salmon rounded out the scoring with a third period power play effort with 8:05 to go.
Cole Hepler added two assists to aid the winners cause.
The shutout by Smith was his second of the series as he earned the triumph.
Kevin Labelle, making his playoff debut, suffered the loss allowing five against on 28 shots while Jessie Morin stopped six of seven in relief, playing the final 20 minutes.
West semifinal 2
No. 2 Elliot Lake Wildcats vs. No. 3 Sudbury Nickel Barons
Wildcats leads best-of-seven series 3-2
Game 1: Sudbury 4 Elliot Lake 1
Game 2: Sudbury 5 Elliot Lake 2
Game 3: Elliot Lake 8 Sudbury 0
Game 4: Elliot Lake 4 Sudbury 3
Game 5: Elliot Lake 6 Sudbury 0
Game 6: Sunday, March 22 @ Sudbury 7:30 p.m. (McClelland)
Game 7*: Tuesday, March 24 @ Elliot Lake 7:30 p.m. (Centennial)
*-if necessary