ELLIOT LAKE, Ont. – The Elliot Lake Wildcats rallied from a two-goal deficit and went on to notch four unanswered markers to defeat the Espanola Express 5-3 in Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League play Friday at Centennial Arena.
An Elliot Lake power play helped put the home side in front as Jake Rhoades converted on the man advantage.
However, Espanola came right back moments later to knot the affair on a Josh Boucher effort.
The Express kept coming and tacked on two more, in rapid succession, to go up by a pair after one with as Zachary Matyasik and Collin McGuire both found the back of the net.
Down a skater in the second stanza, the Wildcats clawed closer on an Owen Kruse man-down effort at 11:03.
Not done there, Elliot Lake added another a couple of shifts later with Jaydyn Parnell supplying the equalizer.
Action in the final frame, saw newcomer Gabriel Davis notch the game-winner for the Wildcats with just over eight minutes to go in his NOJHL debut.
The hosts then capped off the comeback victory in the late going as Eric Vanderhoff rounded out the scoring with an empty netter.
Wildcats netminder Parker Simpson made 41 saves to pick up the win while Joel Rainville made 31 stops in defeat.
Game Photos courtesy of Northern Exposures Photography