Photos: Sudbury Light Event Photography
SUDBURY, Ont. – Greater Sudbury Cubs netminder Joel Rainville was flawless Thursday in posting his Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League-leading third shutout of the season, a 5-0 victory over the visiting Kirkland Lake Gold Miners, at the Gerry McCrory Countryside Sports Complex.
It took the Cubs just 67 seconds to open the scoring as an odd-man rush into the Gold Miners’ zone saw Ben Harris put a feed in front that found an open Josh Boucher unmarked in the slot where he proceeded to whip in eighth of the season, in beating netminder Keaton Lyons.
Carrying their slim lead into the middle session, Greater Sudbury tacked on another early effort as Billy Biedermann lifted a rising attempt from along the side boards, just inside the blueline, that sailed high past a screened Lyons.
It stayed 2-0 Cubs into the third period where the home side added some insurance seven and a half minutes into the session as Biedermann notched his second of the night.
The tally came via the power play with Biedermann neatly redirecting a Carter Geoffroy shot from up high.
Greater Sudbury’s Pierson Sobush picked the short side corner with under eight minutes to add to the lead while Brady Bouchard went top self on a late man advantage to collect his first NOJHL goal and wrap up the night’s proceedings.
The result saw the Cubs improve to 16-11-3-0 on the season while the Gold Miners fell to 10-22-0-3.