Photos: Rob Fera – Points North Media
SUDBURY, Ont. – A Cameron Menard marker, three and a half minutes into the third period, was the difference maker as the Espanola Paper Kings went on to edge the Kirkland Lake Gold Miners 3-2 Wednesday in a hard-fought, well-played Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League Showcase affair, presented by the Dairy Farmers of Ontario, at Gerry McCrory Countryside Sports Complex.
Kirkland Lake kicked off the scoring 8:51 into the game when Rafek Dianov snagged a loose puck laying in the crease off a Nathan Harper blast from the corner and quickly chopped it past Espanola netminder Logan Vale.
Heading to the second stanza, the Paper Kings tied it early when they darted out of their own zone with pace and saw Emerson De Giacomo work a give-and-go with Cain Savage and accept the return feed before waiting and snapping a shot past Gold Miners’ goalkeeper Brian Rathwell.
The free-wheeling period saw Espanola take the lead at 11:54 as Matthew Spencer moved into the Kirkland Lake end with pace and fire a shot that was stopped by Rathwell, but a waiting Noah Logan on the left side promptly hammered in the rebound for his third of the campaign.
Collecting a tying marker four minutes later, the Gold Miners’ Lex Lamontagne outraced a defender to negate an icing, then put a pass in front that Tysen Andersen scooped up and pumped in for his first NOJHL goal.
Regaining the lead while on the power play in the third, Menard took a feed from Carter Brownless and from the top of the right circle whipped in his team-best 11th of the season.
It also helped Menard run a consecutive game point streak to 12 straight outings for the Espanola captain.
Pushing hard late in regulation, Kirkland Lake got their goalkeeper out for an extra skater, but the Paper Kings held firm as time expired to collect the win.
Named player of the game recipients in the contest were defencemen Logan and the fellow blueliner Ryland Harvey, of the Gold Miners.
