PHOTOS : Rob Fera – Sudbury Light Event Photography
A late third period goal by Andrey Manov helped propel the Blind River Beavers over the Greater Sudbury Cubs in a battle of West Division titans.
Coming into the game the Beavers were rolling as winners of seven straight, while the Cubs had fallen in two straight, including a 5-0 setback to Blind River on February 17.
However, Sudbury broke the ice quickly as Ryan Rubic (10) beat Noah Tegelaar at the 1:37 minute mark of the first period. That goal proved to be the only marker in the opening frame.
In the second, Josh Thompson (15) buried a feed from Owen Arnold to tie the game. That didn’t last long, however, as Oliver Smith (37) put the Cubs back on top 2-1 at the 5:21 mark with a powerplay goal.
Blind River continued to hum in the middle stanza as late Manov (11) and Jesse Dupuis (26) put the puck past Noah Metivier twice in the final two minutes. Manov struck at the 18:18 mark, while Dupuis scored at 19:01 to put the Beavers up 3-2 heading into the third.
In the final frame, Cameron Shanks (14) tied the game 3-3 early in the third. With time ticking down and Mason Chitaroni serving a penalty, Manov (12) netted his second of the game, putting Blind River up for good with 2:03 remaining to play in the game.
With the victory, the Beavers now hold a three point lead over the Cubs at the top of the West Division.
“Highlight of the Night” – NOJHL YouTube Channel
