Photos: Northern Exposures Photography
MASSEY, Ont. – The Soo Eagles got the tying and game-winning goals from their captain Kenny Belanger Jr., in the second period, to help them edge the Elliot Lake Vikings 3-2 in a Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League get together at Massey & District Community Arena.
Elliot Lake began the scoring, nearly six minutes into the match-up, when Aaron Shanks neatly tipped in a point shot by Jake Norman, which eluded Sault Ste. Marie starter Marino Ramirez.
Answering with an equalizer, while shorthanded, Eagles’ defenceman Gabriel Fisher whipped in a shot from inside the blueline that beat a screened Matthew Vahramian in the Vikings net.
Coming back to retake the lead, Elliot Lake’s Gavin McLenaghan lifted in a backhand from the right side that got through Ramirez.
Moving to the middle stanza, Belanger Jr., tied it at 5:16 as he ripped one short side from the left circle.
He then added another six minutes later from a similar spot on the ice off a well-placed wrist shot.
That proved to be the night’s final tally as the Soo held on defensively from there to collect the victory.
With the outcome, the Eagles improve to 20-10-0-1 on the season while the narrow defeat sees the Vikings drop to 5-20-1-3.
