Photos: Hélène Rancourt
BLIND RIVER, Ont. – Breaking open a tie game with the final four markers of the contest, the Blind River Beavers went on to secure an important 5-1 win over the Kirkland Lake Gold Miners Sunday in a penalty-laden Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League matinee at the Blind River Community Centre.
With only one point separating the two sides in the NOJHL standings entering the proceedings, and in a quest with the Iroquois Falls Storm for a playoff spot, there was plenty on the line in this one.
It was the Beavers who began the scoring three and a half minutes in when Ethan McLean dished a pass across to Geoffrey Boates who powered his way down the slot and pumped a shot over the shoulder of Gold Miners’ starter Glen McInnes, into the top left-hand corner.
Pulling even early in the middle stanza, Kirkland Lake’s Vaive Hickey snagged a loose puck on the right side and put it into the middle where Owen Kelly ripped it through the legs of Blind River goalkeeper Justin Sullivan for his ninth point in as many games since joining the club.
Retaking the lead during a man advantage at 16:17, the Beavers’ Wyatt Jarratt took a feed down low from Armando Rojo-Bolton and spun and sent a shot along the ice from the goal line where it found its way in, while a couple of players were vying for position out front of McInnes.
In the third period, a surging Ryder Hill added to the Blind River cushion just 21 seconds in as he pumped in a chance from the left circle provided by Michael Lacroce.
With the tally, Hill has now picked up at least one point in eight straight outings.
Putting the game away in the latter stages of the contest, the Beavers struck twice 29 seconds apart to wrap-up the victory.
Leighton Hurst clicked on the power play at 14:23 by whipping one home from up top after being set-up by Ellyott Dundas, then moments later, Caleb Walker got one at even strength as he got just enough off a shot from the left wing to get through McInnes.
With the result, Beavers improve to 14-25-0-4 on the campaign while the Gold Miners fell to 12-26-0-5 in defeat.
