BLIND RIVER, Ont. – Jacob Kelly scored twice Saturday to help the visiting Elliot Lake Wildcats earn a 5-4 victory over the Blind River Beavers in a Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League match-up at the Blind River Community Ccentre.
The hometown Beavers got on the board first when Tristen Bernard picked up his season-opening tally at 5:43.
Later in the frame the Wildcats tied it at 15:12 on a Leejay Meguinis effort only to see Blind River go right back on top 25 seconds later on Max Khull’s fifth of the campaign.
The back and forth affair saw Elliot Lake draw level again on Kelly’s fourth of the season at 7:53 of the middle frame.
However the Beavers once again went back in front just over a minute later as Jack Rudin connected on a power play to put the home side up 3-2.
It was the Wildcats that levelled the proceedings early in the third when Logan Freiburger picked up his sixth of the season as he scored for a fourth straight outing and ran a point streak to five.
Ellliot Lake kept coming as Kelly’s second of the evening put his side in front for the first time.
Taylor Woolcott then supplied the eventual game-winner with just over four minutes to go in regulation.
Blind River got closer in the late going thanks to Max Khull again, but they could not tie it to force overtime before time ran out.
Taylor Bucsis dished out three assists for the Wildcats.
Allan Menary made 31 stops to pick up the win for Elliot Lake while Garret Boyonoski faced 32 shots in a losing cause for the Beavers.