PHOTOS: Caleigh Fera – Sudbury Light Event Photography
SUDBURY, Ont. – Oliver Smith scored three times, and dished out two assists, as part of an 8-3 triumph by the Greater Sudbury Cubs over the Espanola Paper Kings in a penalty-filled Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League contest held Thursday night at Chelmsford Arena.
Greater Sudbury began the proceedings with the night’s initial tally thanks to Smith’s 20th of the season, just over five minutes in, as he beat Espanola starter Jake Marois from the slot after taking a nice feed from linemate Pierson Sobush.
The Cubs’ Smith then tacked on another while on the power play midway through the first period as he went hard to the net off a faceoff and once more was spotted by Sobush before snapping a shot over the blocker of Marois.
A third in the session was provided by Greater Sudbury’s Cole Crowder as he jammed in his 23rd off a goal-mouth scramble at 16:41.
Staying 3-0 for the hosts into the second stanza, they extended their edge seven and a half minutes in when Smith made a nice spinning feed in front where a waiting Billy Biedermann lifted his chance into the top left hand corner on Marois.
Answering that moments later, the Paper Kings’ Aiden Pethick pumped a shot past Cubs’ goalkeeper Noah Metivier with a big point blast.
However, the home side countered with a trio of tallies to put themselves up by six after 40 minutes, beginning with a Sobush shorthanded effort half way through the contest after he was gifted one after blocking a clearing attempt, that left him with an open net.
Crowder then collected another, with help from Smith, as he cruised down the left side and fired a shot through the legs of Marois at 12:16.
They then saw Samuel Assinewai cap off the period for Greater Sudbury as he flew down the right wing and was left to plenty of room to score with a sharp wrist shot.
Smith then notched his hat trick as he finished off a Assinewai set-up early into a third period power play in beating Andrew Gaulton, who had entered the contest after the sixth goal given up by Marois.
Blake Peters-Davey was credited with a man advantage effort for the guests at 3:50 before Espanola added the night’s final tally that was generated off a Cubs’ turnover that eventually allowed Benjamin Lacroix to stuff one into the open corner from the right of Metivier.
The win sees Greater Sudbury move to 45-10-2-0 on the year while the Paper Kings fell to 29-23-2-3.
“Highlight of the Night” – NOJHL YouTube Channel
