ESPANOLA, Ont. – Sutton Majewski’s first Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League goal, coming with under eight minutes remaining in regulation, proved to be the game-winner as the Soo Eagles pulled out a narrow 3-2 victory over the Espanola Paper Kings Saturday at the Regional Recreation Complex.
Some solid work by Sault Ste. Marie starter Anthony Zolezzi kept the contest scoreless through 16 minutes of play, including stopping multiple of breakaway attempts by the Paper Kings.
Building on that, the visiting Eagles picked up the lone marker of the first period, by connecting on the power play at 16:17 where Benjamin Pouliot put one five-hole on Espanola starter Andrew Gaulton off an odd-man rush.
Moving to the middle frame, the home side tied it at 7:37 thanks to Spencer Horgan as he moved in off a scrummed face-off and put one through a maze that eluded a screened Zolezzi.
Going back in front, four minutes into the third, Jack Paweski waited for a cross-ice feed, then promptly whipped it in from the left of Gaulton.
Answering that, Brayden Hindman picked up his initial league tally at 11:11 as he pinched in from the point then chipped a Spencer Horgan back pass over a downed Zolezzi.
However, the Soo came right back and got the decider from Majewski, who corralled a puck that clipped off the glove of an Espanola defender that allowed him to drive to the net where he neatly picked the left-hand corner for the decider on the night’s final marker.
The win moves the Eagles to 1-2 early on the year while the Paper Kings suffered their first loss and fell to 2-1.