NORTHERN ONTARIO JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
NOJHL NETWORK MEDIA UPDATE
Release Date: Sunday, Feb. 26, 2017
Quick start helps send Wildcats past Eagles
ELLIOT LAKE, Ont. – An early first period outburst allowed the Elliot Lake Wildcats to gain the upper hand on the Soo Eagles as they used the momentum to skate to a 5-2 victory Sunday evening in a Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League contest at Centennial Arena.
Elliot Lake started the scoring 4:40 into the contest as Evan Spencer slammed in his 10th of the season.
The Wildcats then came back and added another 40 seconds later with David Elford supplying his 13th, which spelled an early end to Eagles’ starter Kade Phipps’ night in favour of Jack Deines.
However the home side greeted Deines with their third tally in a 92-second span to go up 3-0 thanks to Ty Hannaford.
Sault Ste. Marie did get one back before the opening frame was complete on Nate Harris’ 13th of 2016-17.
Special teams allowed the Eagles to get closer as Roman Gaudet scored on the power play at 11:46 of the second to make it a one-goal game entering the third.
In the final frame Elliot Lake picked up some insurance as Curtis Rawn and Brett Crook both collected their 11th goals of the season to round out the scoring.
Leejay Meguinis and William Bucsis chipped in with two assists apiece for the Wildcats.
Matt Kostiw made 44 stops in the Elliot Lake net to register the win.
Deines suffered the loss finishing with 32 saves on 35 attempts in relief of Phipps, who allowed the early two against on six shots.