Photos: Northern Exposures Photography
MASSEY, Ont. – Continuing where they left off in December, the surging Blind River Beavers picked up their 14th straight Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League victory Friday by downing the Elliot Lake Vikings 9-1 at Massey and District Community Arena.
Blind River bagged the night’s initial tally just 42 seconds into things when Danial Vasic chipped a play just ahead to Jesse Dupuis, who snapped a shot high into the top left-hand corner on Elliot Lake netminder Matthew Vahramian.
Adding to their edge late in the opening frame, Vasic scored for an eighth consecutive contest as he tucked in a no-look backhand from the top of the crease at 17:59, as part of a period where he extended a consecutive game point streak to 15 in succession.
Heading to the middle stanza, the Beavers made it 3-0 early on after Adam Prax picked off a cross-ice attempt by a Vikings’ skater and fired a low shot towards the target that was neatly guided in by Evan Fraccaro.
Elliot Lake got themselves on the board at 5:32 as a Blind River defender inadvertently knocked in a bouncing puck past Noah Tegelaar, with Liam Bridgeman being credited with the goal.
Fraccaro answered that with his second of the session as he finished off a nice passing play by depositing a backhand high over Vahramian.
Special teams then aided to make it 5-1 Beavers when Josh Thompson quickly whipped in a feed across from Andrey Manov during a man advantage.
Adding another before the second intermission, a turnover led to an open Cameron Menard chipping one over the pad and in from the top of the crease.
Early in final frame, a seventh on the night, during a five-on-three, saw Dupuis tack on another by sliding one into an open corner on Sam Keene, who started the period for Elliot Lake.
Owen Arnold then notched another for the Beavers with a wrister from the high slot.
A late shorthanded Menard marker then capped off the evening’s scoring.
The win raises the Beavers record to 28-8-0-0 and with the loss, the Vikings drop to 5-22-1-4.
