Photos: Allyson Demers
KIRKLAND LAKE, Ont. – The surging Greater Sudbury Cubs struck four times on the power play and once more while shorthanded Saturday as part of a 9-3 victory versus the Kirkland Lake Gold Miners in a Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League meeting at Joe Mavrinac Community Complex.
An early man-down effort saw the Cubs begin the scoring just 1:51 into the first period after Daks Klinkhammer wheeled out of his own zone with speed, then after being taken down while driving to the Gold Miners’ net, managed to put a pass across that Eidan Macartney tucked past netminder Brian Rathwell.
Answering with an equalizer, Lex Lamontagne drew the home side level as he took an Owen O’Grady feed in the slot and proceeded to lift in a backhand to commence a plethora of stuffed animals being heaved on to the ice as part of Kirkland Lake’s annual ‘Teddy Bear Toss.’
Regaining the lead with a man advantage effort, Mason Walker got behind Rathwell and tapped in the leftovers off a Briir Long chance.
Greater Sudbury then made it 3-1 at 14:55 as Owen King scored for a fourth straight outing and extended a point streak to eight by propelling in a rising backhand.
Briir Long extended the Cubs’ cushion early in the second by tipping in a Walker shot.
Then Matthew Neumann got that back for the Gold Miners by splitting the defence and lifting one over the blocker of Vahramian.
Trading tallies from there, Aleksander Duguay chipped a play ahead past a defender and picked the left corner from a tight angle to make it 5-2 for the visitors, only to see Vaive Hickey race in alone down the left wing while down a man and convert with a rising sizzler.
Icing it the third period, Nolan Newton clicked three times from close range on the power play to help seal the road victory.
They also saw Jonathan Varella loft one in through traffic from the right point through traffic for his first NOJHL goal prior to Newton capping off his hat trick, during a two-man advantage, in the waning moments.
