Photos: Northern Exposures Photography
ELLIOT LAKE, Ont. – Jacob Kovacs tallied twice, including collecting the game-winner, as the Blind River Beavers skated to their eighth consecutive Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League victory Friday with a 3-1 decision over the Elliot Lake Red Wings at Centennial Arena.
Blind River connected first in the latter stages of the opening period thanks to Adam Ferriera’s initial NOJHL marker as his shot from the right point looked to clip off an Elliot Lake player and change direction enough to elude goalkeeper Cameron Smith.
Tacking on another just 15 seconds into the middle frame, Kovacs found himself free in front and buried a pass from behind the net to put the guests up by a pair with the eventual decider.
Cutting the deficit in half early in the third, the Red Wings got on the board at 1:28 when a long pass put on the tape by Evan Dantas sent Ethan Mercer in alone on a breakaway from he skated in, made a couple of head fakes and snapped a shot over the blocker of Beavers’ goaltender Gavin Disano.
Kovacs then helped put the game away in the late going as his impressive mid-air deflection off an Owen Arnold attempt from the left point sent the puck flying into the top right hand corner to round out the scoring on the evening.
Blind River raised their record to 33-10-2-2 as they continued their winning ways while in defeat, the Red Wings dropped to 13-31-1-2.