Photos: Northern Exposures Photography
ELLIOT LAKE, Ont. – Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League action Friday night saw the front-running Greater Sudbury Cubs grind out a 4-2 win over the Elliot Lake Red Wings at Centennial Arena.
The Cubs opened the scoring just past the eight-minute mark of the contest as Cameron Walker collected his 13th goal of the season by backhanding a low shot between the legs of Red Wings’ starter Cameron Smith from the top of the crease.
Tying things up late in the period, Elliot Lake’s Thomas Dimoulas made a crafty move around a Greater Sudbury skater on the outside then proceeded to bury his club-best 15th marker of the campaign by roofing one on Cubs’ goalkeeper Noah Beaulne from the left side.
Heading to the middle session, the guests went back in front at 14:28 as Nolan Newton calmly waited before putting one on the tape of a hard-charging Samuel Assinewai, who then ripped one upstairs to give him goals in four straight outings and at least one point in his past 13 games.
Moving to the final frame, the Cubs added some early insurance thanks to Pierson Sobush sending a cross-crease feed over to Billy Bidermann, who promptly buried his 16th of the year at 1:52.
The assist for Sobush now gives him points in a dozen consecutive contests.
He then helped secure the road victory with a long-range, shorthanded, empty netter from his own zone for his NOJHL-best 30th goal of the season.
The Red Wings then rounded out the scoring in the final minute thanks to Payton Latoski’s first league marker as he knocked in a Sam Noad pass.
The win sees Greater Sudbury raise their record to 31-5-2-0 while in defeat, Elliot Lake dipped to 12-21-1-2.