ESPANOLA, Ont. – Jack Mortson’s second goal of the game, coming on the power play, midway through the third period proved to be the difference maker as the Soo Eagles went on to defeat the Espanola Paper Kings 3-1 Sunday in a Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League matinee at the Regional Recreation Complex.
Espanola opened the scoring on the afternoon seven minutes into the match-up as Jack Lynes skated down the left wing and first a low shot that found the corner on Eagles’ netminder Logan Raffaele.
Heading into the second stanza, Sault Ste. Marie drew level at 3:02 on a play that saw Chase Tallaire spin on the side boards and fire a feed in front where Mortson chipped in the equalizer over the glove of Paper Kings’ goalkeeper Creedon Dyck.
Despite multiple man advantage opportunities, for each side, throughout the remainder of the stanza, neither team could convert offensively prior to the clubs reaching the intermission still knotted at one.
In the third, the visitors got the go-ahead marker halfway through as Mortson saw the puck find him at the left of the crease where he whipped in the eventual game-winner before Dyck could get across to keep it out.
Espanola got their goalie out in the late going for a sixth skater and had a couple of quality chances to tie it that were stopped by Raffaele, before the Soo broke out and saw Kenny Belanger wrap-up the road win with an empty netter in the final minute.
The outcome saw the Eagles raise the record to 4-2-0-0 while the Paper Kings fell to 5-3-1-0 overall.
