Photos: Jennifer Livingston
SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. – The Soo Eagles got two goals, including the game-winner, from Dylan Szabo to help send them on their way to a 6-2 victory over the Elliot Lake Vikings Saturday in a Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League meeting at Pullar Stadium.
The visiting Vikings struck first as they broke out on a three-on-one that saw Nathan Marincola finish it off but chipping one over a sprawled Marino Ramirez in the Sault Ste. Marie net at 3:41.
Answering with an equalizer midway through the opening period, off an odd-man rush, the Eagles had Jack Paweski come in on the right side, taking his time, before firing a feed into the crease that was steered in by Szabo past Elliot Lake goalkeeper Sam Keene.
Adding another late in the frame, Benjamin Pouliot put the Soo on top after one after he buried a shot top shelf from a sharp angle.
It was more from Szabo early in the middle stanza as he guided in a Jack Ohlund pass on a two-man break.
Adding to their edge, the Eagles knocked in two more late in the frame to go up 5-1 after 40 minutes.
Ohlund had the fourth as he wheeled through the slot, then took it wide, before sliding it in.
Paweski then notched the Soo’s fifth by finishing off a second chance from the left hash mark.
In the third, the hosts added some insurance after winning a face off and saw Gabriel Fisher fire a shot from the point that was redirected in by Alex Freund at 10:45.
Elliot Lake captain Noah Aboflan got one back for the guests as he went in alone and ripped on by Ramirez with under seven minutes top play to wrap-up the night’s scoring.
The win has the Eagles improving to 19-9-01 overall, while in defeat, the Vikings dropped to 5-16-1-3.
