ESPANOLA, Ont. – Getting two goals apiece from Kobe Braham, Yan Bessette and Lucas Signoretti, the Espanola Paper Kings went on to sink the French River Rapids 6-2 in Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League action Saturday evening at the Regional Recreation Complex.
The Rapids scored first as Josh Russell spun to the right of the net and put a pass in front that was steered in by Alexandre Dubuc, into the open net, on Paper Kings starter Jake Marois at 7:13.
Espanola countered with an equalizer five minutes later and saw Bessette chip one in from the right side on French River goalkeeper Brady Dyer.
Taking a 2-1 lead into the first intermission, Braham came out from the side of the net and proceeded to lift in a backhand at 15:26 for his sixth goal of the season.
In the middle frame, the Paper Kings went up by a pair on a three-on-two that saw Signoretti complete a cross-ice pass from Braham with half a game to play.
The Rapids pulled back to within one at 13:33 on Maksim Tugolukov’s initial NOJHL tally as he chipped a Jackson Doyle pass under Marois.
Espanola came back to strike twice though before the break as they took a three-goal edge into the third.
Bessette’s second of the night came as he converted off help from Braham.
They then saw Signoretti score once more as he tipped in a Justin Seguin shot from the left point.
The Paper Kings then put the game away midway through the third when Braham darted down the left wing with the teams skating four aside and drove hard to the net where he neatly slipped the disk between the legs of the Rapids goalkeeper to round out the scoring.