Photos: Rob Fera – Points North Media
LIVELY, Ont. – A five-goal night from Mason Walker, while Briir Long dished out five assists to help send the Greater Sudbury Cubs past the Soo Eagles 9-6 Friday in a high-scoring, penalty-laden, Game 2 of their Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League semifinal at T.M. Davies Arena.
With the result, the Cubs now lead the best-of-seven match-up 2-0, heading into Game 3 Monday at Pullar Stadium in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., at 7 p.m. and on FLOHockey.tv.
As they did in the series opener Thursday, Sault Ste. Marie supplied the night’s initial tally when Anden Marceau drove around the boards on the right side before firing a feed in front that Logan Stawizynski quickly swatted past Greater Sudbury goaltender Iain Wintle, midway through the opening frame.
Pulling even while skating four side, the Cubs tied it at 17:10 when Walker darted out of his own zone with pace, then moved to the left after entering Eagles territory and wired the equalizer past netminder Jace Knoerle.
With the goal, along with the lone assist going to Long, saw the duo extend point streaks to six apiece as they have etched their name on the game sheet in each of the club’s playoff games to date.
Action in the middle stanza saw Greater Sudbury convert on a man advantage as Long fired a crisp feed across to Walker in the left circle where he ripped in his second of the night at the seven-minute mark.
Tying it up moments into an extended power play, the Soo’s Stawizynski potted another for the visitors as he wired in a rising short-side sizzler over the shoulder of Wintle at 7:59.
Still up a skater, Marceau made it 3-2 Eagles just past the half-way mark of the proceedings as he slammed in a play put across by Jacob Peterson.
The Cubs’ penalty troubles continued as Stawizynski completed a hat trick on a five-on-three when he spun in the slot and whipped in his third of the contest.
Returning to even strength, Greater Sudbury regrouped to strike moments apart to level the score at 4-4.
After Owen King inched his side closer by flipping a shot past the glove of Knoerle, Walker hit his hat trick just 15 seconds later by completing yet another pass put his way by Long and burying a well-placed shot while moving down the left wing.
Heading to the final frame, Walker continued his big night by picking off a Soo pass in his own zone, then racing down the right wing before snapping in his fourth of the night a minute and a half into the third.
Matching that immediately, Lucas Caulfield drew the Eagles even when he knocked in his fourth of the playoffs while battling in close.
Responding with a trio of tallies in rapid succession, Greater Sudbury went back in front for good.
Alex Valade on a power play saw him take a feed from Walker and bury it on Knoerle.
More from Valade saw him muscle his way down the left wing boards before sending in a low shot from a sharp angle.
That resulted in a goaltending change for the Soo as Dalton Hoornstra entered in relief.
He was greeted with Walker’s fifth though as he lifted in a backhand as part of Long’s fifth assist in the game.
The Eagles’ Samuel Gold answered that quickly as he found the range by pulling off ‘A Michigan,’ by elevating one into the top shelf while cutting out behind the net on Wintle.
Eventually wrapping it up, Caden Dubreuil put a shorthanded marker into an empty net in the late going to complete the win by the Cubs.
GAME NOTE: The date for Game 7 of the series, if necessary, has been finalized and would be held on Tuesday, April 14 at 7 p.m. at Gerry McCrory Countryside Sports Complex.
NOJHL semifinal
No. 1 Greater Sudbury Cubs vs. No. 7 Soo Eagles
Game 1: Cubs 5, Eagles 1
Game 2: Cubs 9, Eagles 6
Game 3: Monday, April 6 @ Soo 7 p.m. (Pullar Stadium)
Game 4: Tuesday, April 7 @ Soo 7 p.m. (Pullar Stadium)
Game 5*: Thursday, April 9 @ Sudbury 7 p.m. (Gerry McCrory Countryside Sports Complex)
Game 6*: Saturday, April 11 @ Soo 7 p.m. (Pullar Stadium)
Game 7*: Tuesday, April 14 @ Sudbury 7 p.m. (Gerry McCrory Countryside Sports Complex)
*-if necessary
Greater Sudbury leads best-of-seven series 2-0
