NEWS RELEASE
NORTHERN ONTARIO JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
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SUDBURY – A five-goal second period barrage, just over six and a half minutes in length, saw the Espanola Paper Kings rebound and eventually hold on for a narrow 6-5 victory over the Elliot Lake Vikings Tuesday at the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League Showcase taking place at Gerry McCrory Countryside Sports Complex.
Elliot Lake began the scoring when Cohen George-Mackie connected in his NOJHL debut by steering in a rebound off a Jonah Cardinal attempt on Espanola goaltender James Meredith.
Bagging a buzzer-beater with just over a second to go in the first frame, the Vikings went up by a pair after Ivan Kedrov took a back pass from Anthony Bertrand and ripped it upstairs, high over the glove of Meredith, for his team-leading fourth of the season.
Heading to the middle stanza, the Paper Kings converted on a man advantage at 2:27 when Grant Booth hammered in a loose puck off an Aiden Pethick point blast.
Trading tallies moments apart, a couple of shifts later, Elliot Lake’s Dylan Hendrick raced in on a breakaway and neatly tucked in a backhand between the legs of Meredith before Espanola’s Grady Murphy easily chipped in a misplay from behind the net.
The Paper Kings kept coming and drew level when Lucas Dubois snapped a shot that goalkeeper Brogan Colquhoun could only get a piece of before it dropped in.
That resulted in a change, with Vikings’ back-up Ryder Lally coming in.
However, a strong forecheck generated a go-ahead marker for the Paper Kings as Luke Hill tipped in a Kaden Wicklander pass into the crease.
Graydon Guthrie kept it going for Espanola with a power play marker, as he converted from in close before Wicklander notched his first as he was set-up in the slot by Sam Lescarbeau and promptly buried it.
Up a skater themselves, Elliot Lake pulled to within a pair after a nice rush by their captain, Mason Windsor, ended up being knocked in to make it 6-4 after 40 minutes.
In the final frame, Brigham Nye stuffed in a wraparound at 2:42 to collect his first NOJHL tally to get the Vikings closer.
They then had two prime chances to tie it, only to be denied twice by big Meredith saves, on a pair of clear cut chances.
A late man advantage and with their goalie out for an additional skater, Elliot Lake pressed to knot the affair and send it to overtime, but Espanola held on to get the win.
Both clubs are back at it Wednesday in Day 2 of the Showcase as the Paper Kings take on Kirkland Lake at 11:15 a.m. while the Vikings meet Iroquois Falls at 4:15 p.m.
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