Photos: Northern Exposures Photography
MASSEY, Ont. – The surging Blind River Beavers got goals from four different skaters to help lead them to their eighth straight Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League victory Tuesday, as they down the Elliot Lake Vikings 4-2 in a tilt held at Massey District Community Arena.
A couple of late markers deep into the opening frame aided in Blind River taking a 2-0 lead into the first intermission.
Brendan Cooke got the initial Beavers’ tally at 17:59 as he found himself free in the slot, and after taking a Jack Robinson pass, snapped it by the pad of Elliot Lake netminder Matthew Vahramian.
The visitors then came right back and notched another with Jakob Kovacs being sent in alone where he whipped a shot high blocker side for his 25th goal of the season and run a consecutive game point streak to nine in succession.
Moving to the middle stanza, the Vikings cut into the deficit at 12:36 when a Braeden Vis shot from the left point got through Blind River goaltender Stephen Amaro, making his NOJHL debut, then had Liam Bridgeman swoop in and stuff in the loose puck that was laying free in the crease.
Getting that back a minute and a half later, a Jesse Dupuis pass sent Daniel Vasic through the defence and had him fire a low attempt under Vahramian.
Vasic has now etched his name on the game sheet in each of the nine games he has played so far with the Beavers, giving him at least one point on each occasion.
Pulling back to within one early in the third period saw Elliot Lake click on the power play.
There off some nice movement, Owen Kahl cranked a shot on net from the left circle that was stopped, but Anthony Bertrand was right there to slam in the rebound at 1:17.
Staying that way late into the contest, Dupuis sealed the win for Blind River with an empty netter to round out the scoring.
The result extends the Beavers’ winning ways, while seeing them improve to 22-8-0-0 on the year.
With the narrow defeat, the Vikings fall to 5-17-1-3.
